Premier League referees are expected to award more penalties this season as officials take a tougher stance on players grappling and holding opponents inside the penalty area.
Howard Webb, chief operating officer of referees’ body PGMOL, said on 14 August that feedback from a recent Premier League survey revealed “a few too many” clear holding offences were going unpunished.
Webb explained that VAR will now be able to intervene in cases of “extreme non-footballing action”, such as a player dragging an opponent to the ground, even if the incident occurs away from the ball.
“I would expect, if we’re having this discussion a year from now, that there will have been a few more penalties given for holding offences than last season,” Webb said. “But not a huge swing of the pendulum, because that’s difficult to sustain over time.”
He added that certain “grey area” situations would still be left to the referee’s discretion, such as minor contact or mutual holding that does not impede a player’s movement. However, in cases where there is no justification for the referee’s call, VAR will be expected to step in.
Last season, Nottingham Forest were awarded a penalty against Brighton & Hove Albion after a VAR review found Tariq Lamptey had bundled Morgan Gibbs-White to the ground without attempting to play the ball. The Premier League later described the incident as “sustained holding with no attempt to play the ball”.
The PGMOL has attempted similar crackdowns before, but Webb stressed that this time the approach would be more sustained.
“This is not a two-week or six-week campaign that fades away by October,” he said. “If we went in like a steam train and gave every minor contact, we’d be told to ease off very quickly. We need to be credible and take the game with us.”
The new season begins on 15 August, with champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth.