The 3pm blackout explained
Why UK television does not show Saturday football at three in the afternoon live, what the blackout does to the coupon, and what that means for tipping.
The rule explained
UK television never shows any match live that kicks off at 3pm on a Saturday. It covers every competition, English or foreign, and the window runs from 14:45 until 17:15 UK time. The rule exists so attendances further down the pyramid stay protected. If the big game were shown on television, fewer people would visit their local ground.
Why this shapes the coupon
Most Premier League matches and nearly all EFL matches start at three. The Saturday coupon proper refers to that block. The evening, 17:30 and 12:30 games are the ones moved because of television.
What this means for tips
An acca usually comes from the 3pm block, because that's where the volume is. We group the Saturday page by kick-off block, so televised games sit apart from the 3pm card for you to see.
Saturday 7 November, 34 of the 43 games in our coverage start at 3pm. Tips for Saturday football