The Premier League’s new plan to end corner chaos
By BBC, August 20, 2026Holding, pushing, shoving, jostling and grappling inside the penalty area became something of an epidemic in the Premier League last season.
“You get the feeling now that referees really don’t want to get involved in any of it,” Everton boss David Moyes said after a particularly fractious game against Manchester United in February.
“It’s really poor that they’ve not tried to deal with it.”
Then came West Ham’s disallowed goal against Arsenal in May, when up to five potential fouls happened at the same time.
It was one of the key topics when captains, coaches, referees and other stakeholders were consulted in the summer.
So now, try to deal with it, they will.
The Premier League season will get under way on Friday night when champions Arsenal host promoted Coventry, with referees instructed to be stronger, stricter and more ready to penalise clear non-footballing actions.
What does this mean? Will it be successful? And are the players and coaches on board too?
How set-pieces will be refereed differently
The fabric of the laws has not changed, but the focus on player behaviour has.
Officials – including in the English Football League and the Women’s Super League – will now pay more attention to ‘holding actions that have clear material impact’.
The greatest focus will remain on players who are prevented from playing the ball, as that affects the passage of play.
Yet of the 20 missed VAR interventions last season, a quarter were penalties not awarded when a player had been wrestled to the ground off the ball.
So there will be an increased emphasis on those ‘non-footballing holding actions that have no place on the football pitch’.
This includes where a player is:
- Only focusing on the opponent (not looking at the ball)
- Not attempting to play or challenge for the ball
- Holding an opponent with both arms
- Committing sustained and/or impactful holding of an opponent or their clothing
That means a defender who has their back to where a set-piece is coming from and whose only intention is to prevent an attacker’s movement will be penalised.
Howard Webb, the Premier League referees’ chief, said he wants referees to be more proactive.
“We’re trying to get the officials to be as confident as they can be to penalise what they see,” Webb said.
“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.”
The World Cup saw fewer instances of grappling on corners, with goalkeepers given greater protection.
The Premier League will not be so strict, so do not expect goals to be ruled out if a keeper gets a bump when they are not playing the ball.
“Contact is still part of the game; we still maintain the high threshold,” Webb added.
A goalkeeper having the movement of his arm restricted – see Arsenal’s David Raya against West Ham – would still be penalised.