Premier League referees to crack down on grappling at set pieces

Referees in the English Premier League, English Football League, and Women's Super League will implement a tougher stance on holding and grappling during set pieces this season. The directive aims to curb deliberate infringements that impede opponents' ability to contest the ball or gain advantageous positions.

Officials have been told to take stronger action against "non-footballing holding actions." This includes instances where a player solely focuses on an opponent, makes no attempt to play the ball, uses both arms to restrain an opponent, or persistently holds a player or their clothing. Defenders who turn their backs to an incoming ball and deliberately hold an attacker will also be subject to penalties.

Howard Webb, Premier League referees' chief, emphasized a shift towards decisive action over repeated warnings. "We’re trying to get the officials to be as confident as they can be to penalise what they see," Webb stated. "So fewer warnings, more actions penalised..." The goal is to modify player behavior through consistent enforcement rather than reducing the application of the rules.

This renewed focus follows concerns over missed VAR interventions last season, a quarter of which involved penalties not awarded for players being held away from the ball. However, Webb clarified that the league will maintain a high threshold for physical contact, ensuring that ordinary bumps do not automatically lead to disallowed goals. The change is expected to significantly impact set-piece tactics, a crucial source of goals in the league, with clubs scoring 269 set-piece goals last season, accounting for a record 25.7 percent of all goals.

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We’re trying to get the officials to be as confident as they can be to penalise what they see. 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.