Premier League says hair pulling no longer warrants an automatic red card

The English Premier League has updated its refereeing guidelines, announcing that pulling an opponent's hair will not automatically result in a red card for the upcoming season. Instead, a red card will be issued only if the hair pulling is deemed to involve "excessive force and/or brutality." Incidents that are deliberate but lack excessive force will be punished with a yellow card.

This adjustment follows several instances last season where players like Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez, Everton's Michael Keane, and Sunderland's Dan Ballard received red cards for hair pulling. The league aims to provide clearer distinctions for these types of fouls.

Beyond hair pulling, the Premier League will also increase its focus on holding fouls, encouraging referees to penalize non-footballing actions that significantly impact opponents. Additionally, greater emphasis will be placed on protecting goalkeepers, with referees instructed to penalize players who initiate contact without a clear attempt to play the ball if it hinders the goalkeeper's ability to challenge for possession.

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a red card will apply where hair ​pulling is carried out with “excessive force and/or brutality”, while incidents deemed to be ​deliberate but without excessive force will be ​punished with a yellow.