The Premier League and English Football League will again implement short stoppages during some fixtures to allow Muslim players and officials to break their fast while observing Ramadan.

Ramadan begins this week and continues for around a month, during which Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset. With sunset in the UK falling roughly between 17:00 and 19:00 GMT over this period, the matches most likely to include a brief pause are Saturday fixtures kicking off at 17:30 and Sunday matches starting at 16:30.

Clubs and match officials will agree in advance whether a stoppage is needed and will set an approximate time for it. Team captains and referees will look for a natural lull in play to allow those fasting to rehydrate or take energy supplements.

Play will not be halted in the middle of active sequences. Instead, the pause will occur at the earliest practical moment, for example when the ball is out for a goal-kick, free-kick or throw-in.

An understanding to permit brief in-game breaks for Ramadan was introduced in 2021. The first such pause took place in April 2021 during the Leicester City v Crystal Palace match, when the game was stopped at a goal-kick to allow Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate to take on fluids and energy gels.

There are a number of Muslim players across the top tiers of English football, including Mohamed Salah, William Saliba, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Amad Diallo.

“In the Premier League you are free to do whatever suits you. They will never do anything against your faith and this is great,” said former Everton player Abdoulaye Doucoure. He added: “I fast every day, I don’t miss any day. It has become normal and very easy for me. Training is still the same during Ramadan but when we go [for away matches], we might need to eat later than the others so the chef prepares food for us, making sure everything is in place as at home. We get halal food so there are no problems.”

Clubs have also adjusted routines to support fasting players. In 2022 former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane spoke about the club altering training schedules to help Muslim players through the month.