By Dorcas Francis Koji
Premier League referees have been instructed to take a tougher approach to holding and grappling during corners and free-kicks ahead of the new season.
Although there has been no change to the laws of the game, officials in the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League have been directed to act more decisively against deliberate holding that affects the outcome of play.
The renewed focus will target what officials describe as “non-footballing holding actions” — situations where players concentrate solely on restricting opponents rather than attempting to play the ball.
Actions such as using both arms to hold an opponent, repeatedly grabbing a player or their shirt, or deliberately preventing an opponent from moving into a dangerous position are expected to attract greater punishment.
Defenders who turn their backs to an incoming corner or free-kick while deliberately holding attackers to restrict their movement could also concede penalties under the stricter approach.
Howard Webb, the Premier League’s referees’ chief, said officials have been encouraged to penalise offences rather than repeatedly warn players.
“We’re trying to get the officials to be as confident as they can to penalise what they see,” Webb said.
“So fewer warnings, more actions penalised, and if there’s any reduction in offences being penalised it should be a result of a modification of player behaviour rather than us no longer applying it.”
The decision follows concerns over missed VAR interventions last season. Of the 20 missed interventions identified, five involved penalties that were not awarded after players were wrestled to the ground away from the ball.
However, Webb stressed that officials would not adopt an excessively strict interpretation of physical contact, particularly in situations involving goalkeepers.
Ordinary contact between players will continue to be tolerated, meaning routine bumps will not automatically lead to goals being disallowed. However, goalkeepers could be penalised when their movement is clearly restricted, such as when an opponent deliberately holds an arm and prevents them from moving.
The change could have a major impact on set-piece strategies across the Premier League, with 269 goals scored from set pieces last season, excluding penalties and direct free-kicks. Such goals accounted for a record 25.7 per cent of all league goals.
Arsenal were the league’s most productive side from set pieces, scoring 25 goals, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur recorded 21 and 19 respectively.
Defensively, Liverpool conceded the most set-piece goals with 19, followed by Chelsea and Newcastle United, who each conceded 17.
Arsenal also combined their attacking threat with strong defensive organisation, conceding only seven goals from set pieces.
The stricter refereeing approach could therefore force Premier League clubs to rethink how they organise both attacking and defensive set pieces.
Webb said the objective was not to remove physicality from football but to discourage actions that are designed solely to obstruct opponents rather than compete for the ball.
“If we start penalising offences, players have to adjust their tactics. And then those kinds of situations reduce in number,” he said.
With set pieces becoming increasingly influential in Premier League matches, players and coaches have been put on notice that deliberate grappling will face greater scrutiny this season.
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