There will be a change in the way Premier League referees judge hair-pulling next season after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26.<\/p>\n
All three red cards for hair-pulling came through a video assistant referee review, but from next season, not every time a player is seen to pull an opponent’s hair will they be dismissed.<\/p>\n
Instead, greater emphasis will be placed on both the level of force and the intention.<\/p>\n
Referees will be told to look for a “clear and deliberate action” which has “excessive force and\/or brutality”.<\/p>\n
The change is intended to give more latitude to players who may accidentally hold on to an opponent’s hair.<\/p>\n
In addition, officials will be asked to place a greater emphasis on grappling and holding inside the area after it became commonplace on corners and set-pieces.<\/p>\n
Referees will be told to pay much more attention to “holding actions that have clear material impact”.<\/p>\n
This includes players who are “clearly only focused on opponents and making a holding action”.<\/p>\n
A solution to stop goalkeeper “tactical timeouts” is also set to be introduced.<\/p>\n
The tactic is used by managers to get new instructions to their players or to impact the momentum of the opposition.<\/p>\n
The goalkeeper sits on the turf and signals for the physio and the other players rush to the technical area for a team talk.<\/p>\n
The Premier League is discussing a solution before the new season while a new law to tackle general time-wasting by goalkeepers will be introduced.<\/p>\n
If keepers delay a restart on a goal-kick, a referee can start a five-second countdown. If time runs out, the opposition will be given a corner.<\/p>\n