Premier League Referees Set to Increase Penalty Calls for Holding

In a significant shift for the upcoming season, Premier League referees are preparing to enforce stricter penalties for players who hold or grapple with opponents in the penalty area. According to Howard Webb, the chief operating officer of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), feedback from a recent survey has revealed a concerning trend of “a few too many” clear holding offences going unpunished.

Webb addressed reporters on Thursday, indicating that referees will now be more vigilant in identifying such infractions. He emphasized that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will play a critical role in addressing “extreme non-footballing actions.” This includes instances where a player is clearly dragged to the ground, even if the incident occurs off the ball.

Increased Penalty Expectations

“I would expect, if we’re sitting around this table this time next year, there to have been a few more penalties given for holding offences than what we’ve seen in the past season,” Webb stated. He clarified that while changes are imminent, they will not lead to an overwhelming number of penalties. “Not a huge swing of the pendulum, because that’s really difficult to sustain over a period of time,” he added.

Webb acknowledged that there will still be instances of ambiguity where the referee’s judgment will prevail. “There will be some grey zone situations where the referee’s call stands,” he explained. In such cases, if the referee decides that the contact was minimal and did not impact the player’s ability to play the ball, the decision will remain as is. “That will stay the referee’s call,” he confirmed, indicating that VAR would only intervene when there are no supporting considerations for the referee’s decision.

A Focus on Lasting Change

Last season, Nottingham Forest was awarded a penalty during a match against Brighton & Hove Albion, a decision confirmed after a VAR check. The incident involved Tariq Lamptey bundling Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White to the ground, which was described in a subsequent Premier League statement as “sustained holding with no attempt to play the ball.”

Efforts to reduce holding in the box have been attempted before, but Webb assured that the current approach aims for lasting change. “This is not meant to be a two-week campaign, a six-week campaign, August and September and then forget all about it,” he explained. He highlighted the need for a balanced approach, stating that if referees were to penalize every minor contact, the initiative would quickly lose credibility. “We have to take the game with us,” Webb concluded.

The new Premier League season is set to kick off on August 11, 2023, with champions Liverpool facing Bournemouth in the opening match. As fans anticipate the start of the season, the emphasis on stricter enforcement of holding offences promises to change the landscape of penalty decisions in English football.