Some of England's leading football clubs will permit some fans to stand while watching matches from 1 January, the government has announced.
Premier League and Championship clubs have until 6 October to apply to become "early adopters" in a pilot scheme.
This would mean some fans are allowed to rise to their feet for long spells for the first time in 27 years.
The move follows the introduction of safe areas for standing at top-flight football in Germany and Scotland.
The Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all went into the last election with a pledge to update the ban that was introduced in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, in which a crush led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters.