The Premier League's winter break has been axed with the season starting later instead - giving players more rest in the summer.
Several years ago, England's top-flight introduced a pause just after the hectic Christmas period, but it will now revert back to its previous calendar after several changes were made.
The axing of the winter break will allow a mid-August start date for the Premier League. It means there will be a longer summer break with the plan to ensure that all Premier League players get a consecutive three-week break in the summer.
The decision has been made following expert advice from medical and technical departments, who have placed larger value on a longer period of complete rest in the summer rather than a short break in the winter. The agreement has been approved by the FA Board and the Premier League Board and shareholders.
Part of that agreement will see FA Cup replays scrapped from the first round, easing the burden on the fixture list, which is motivated by the expanded Champions League. From the 2024/25 season that traditional curtain raiser, the Community Shield, will take place on 10 August - the Saturday before the start of the Premier League season.
Jurgen Klopp was among the managers to be an advocate of a short pause midway through the campaign, but that will be no more from next season, albeit the German will have left Anfield.
He told Sky Sports earlier this year: "You don't want to have a four-week break or something like that in the middle of the season but after a very intense period, having these few days was very important."
Klopp, as well as several other foreign managers, have often bemoaned the amount of games in the English calendar. That regularly peaks in and around the festive period when games can be played on Boxing Day, New Year's Day and all the days in between.
Clubs have found themselves heading to places like Dubai to take part in warm weather training camps as they prepare themselves for the second period of the season. That is no longer going to be possible with the Premier League - as well as the various cup competitions - now going straight through from the start of the season.
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