EPL: Referees to crack down on grappling at corners, free-kicks

Iliman Ndiaye of Everton holds back Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro of Manchester United as players jostle at a corner kick Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Players from both sides were camped inside the six-yard box when Everton met Manchester United in February Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The Premier League will take a tougher stance on holding and grappling at set pieces this season, with referees instructed to pay greater attention to actions that have a clear impact on play.

Although the laws of the game remain unchanged, officials across the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League have been told to take stronger action against deliberate holding, particularly when it prevents opponents from competing for the ball or moving into dangerous positions.

The focus will be on what officials describe as “non-footballing holding actions”, instances where a player is only focused on an opponent, makes no attempt to play the ball, uses both arms to hold an opponent, or persistently holds a player or their clothing.

Under the renewed approach, defenders who turn their backs to an incoming corner or free-kick and deliberately hold an attacker to prevent their movement could be penalised.

As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb said officials had been encouraged to act decisively rather than repeatedly issuing warnings.

“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,” Webb added.

The tougher approach follows concerns over missed VAR interventions last season. Of the 20 missed interventions identified, a quarter involved penalties that were not awarded after players were wrestled to the ground away from the ball.

However, Webb stressed that the Premier League would not adopt an excessively strict approach to physical contact, particularly involving goalkeepers.

The league will maintain a high threshold for contact, meaning ordinary bumps will not automatically result in a goal being ruled out. But a goalkeeper whose movement is clearly restricted, such as having an arm held back, could still be penalised.

The change could have a significant effect on set-piece tactics, with Premier League clubs having scored 269 goals from set pieces last season, excluding penalties and direct free-kicks. Such goals accounted for a record 25.7 per cent of all goals in the league.

Arsenal led the way with 25 set-piece goals, while Manchester United scored 21 and Tottenham Hotspur 19.

At the other end, Liverpool conceded a league-high 19 goals from set pieces, followed by Chelsea and Newcastle United, who each conceded 17.

Arsenal’s success was particularly notable, as they combined attacking efficiency with defensive strength, conceding only seven set-piece goals.

The new refereeing emphasis could therefore force clubs to reconsider how they defend and attack corners and free-kicks.

Webb said the objective was not to eliminate physicality from football but to discourage actions that have no genuine connection with playing the ball.

“If we start penalising offences, players have to adjust their tactics,” he said. “And then those kinds of situations reduce in number,” he said.

The approach will now be tested over the course of the season, with consistency likely to be crucial. Referees will have to maintain the standard beyond the opening weeks while ensuring that normal physical contact remains part of the game.

For players and clubs, the message is clear: deliberate holding at set pieces will face greater scrutiny, and those who continue to use grappling as a tactic could find themselves giving away penalties.