Premier League referees will award more penalties for holding in the 2025-26 season, according to Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb.
PGMOL will look to crack down on grappling in the box during set-pieces with stricter measures ahead of the new English top-flight season, which kicks off on Friday.
Based in feedback from Premier League captains, players and clubs, Webb said there were “a few too many examples of players clearly pulling people back”, adding that these were not being penalised.
Webb said: “The feedback that we had is that there’s just a few too many examples of players clearly pulling people back impacting their ability to move to the ball or some clear extreme actions are not being penalised.
“They’re the ones I expect us to catch. Therefore, I would expect this time next year to have been a few more penalties given for holding offences than what we’ve seen this year.
“But not a huge swing of the pendulum because that’s really difficult to sustain over a period of time.”
The new guidance will allow officials – with the help of VAR – the scope to analyse possible incidents of holding and make a judgement based on criteria including: how long a player is held for; the extent of the impact on their ability to move; the nature of the opponent’s efforts to impede movement; and whether both arms are being used to hold.
A crackdown on holding is nothing novel, having been promised previously but proving to yield any significant impact.
Webb, however, insists this time will be different.
“This is not meant to be a six-week campaign, August and September, then we forget all about it,” he said.
“If we went in like a steam train and gave every little bit of sort of contact, then it would tell you it would be a six-week campaign.
“We would get told very quickly to ease off from what we’re doing. We have to take the game with us and we have to be credible.”
More new rules this season
The possibility of more penalties being awarded comes following several other new rules that will come into effect in the Premier League this season.
Goalkeepers will now have a maximum of eight seconds to release the ball once they have gained control. Exceeding the time limit will result in a corner being awarded to the opposition.
Another rule will see only captains being permitted to approach the referee to explain important decisions, while unintentional double-touch penalty kicks will result in a retake if the goal is scored, or an indirect free-kick being awarded if no goal is scored.
A deliberate double touch spot-kick will be penalised with an indirect free kick, regardless of goal outcome.
Dropped ball restarts will go to the goalkeeper if play is stopped while the ball inside the penalty area and, if outside the box, to the team who had, or was likely to have, possession.
Any accidental interference with the ball, such as someone from the touchline or technical area, will result in an an indirect free kick and no sanction.
An intentional interference would see the game restarted with an indirect free kick or penalty, as well as appropriate disciplinary action being taken.
