# Premier League Considering Wage Bill Cap to Maintain Competitive Balance
The Premier League is considering a new wage bill cap in order to maintain competitive balance, according to Crystal Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish. Speaking at the Leaders Week conference in Twickenham, Parish said ‘really positive conversations’ have been held about its possible introduction and he has told teams in England’s top-flight that ‘there is change afoot’ in regards to rules.
The Daily Mail reports that the Premier League is looking at a variety of ways to maintain competitive balance – including anchoring – which would cap the richest club’s wage bills as a multiple of the television money earned by the bottom club.
## What is Anchoring?
Anchoring is a concept that has been discussed in the Premier League for some time, and it would involve capping the wage bill of the richest club in the league as a multiple of the television money earned by the bottom club. This would ensure that all clubs have access to a similar amount of resources, and would help to create a more level playing field.
## What Has Steve Parish Said?
Speaking at the Leaders Week conference in Twickenham, Steve Parish said: “As far as competitive balance (is concerned), people need to be bold. I think there is change afoot. UEFA’s squad-cost caps are one idea. Maybe something that is a bit more rigid than that, with a hard cap at the top, that doesn’t take turnover into account, where there are vagaries of how that turnover comes about.
“There are really positive conversations going on about it. We also have to be very careful because there are also unintended consequences. Hopefully we will get somewhere that will be beneficial, not just to the clubs in the Premier League but to the whole pyramid and their ability to compete. We are voting for our competitors to be able to do better and challenge us.”
## What Else Is The Premier League Doing?
The Premier League and English Football League (EFL) has banned Israeli and Palestinian flags at matches this weekend in an attempt to avoid political incidents. The conflict in the Middle East is still ongoing after Palestine extremist group Hamas launched an attack on October 7, with Israel heavily bombing Gaza in response. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah called for immediate humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza on Wednesday.
The introduction of a wage bill cap could be a major step forward for the Premier League, as it would help to level the playing field and ensure that all clubs have access to similar resources. It remains to be seen whether or not this will be implemented, but it is clear that Steve Parish believes it is an important step towards maintaining competitive balance in the league.