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.
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.
Instead, greater emphasis will be placed on both the level of force and the intention.
Referees will be told to look for a “clear and deliberate action” which has “excessive force and/or brutality”.
The change is intended to give more latitude to players who may accidentally hold on to an opponent’s hair.
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.
Referees will be told to pay much more attention to “holding actions that have clear material impact”.
This includes players who are “clearly only focused on opponents and making a holding action”.
A solution to stop goalkeeper “tactical timeouts” is also set to be introduced.
The tactic is used by managers to get new instructions to their players or to impact the momentum of the opposition.
The goalkeeper sits on the turf and signals for the physio and the other players rush to the technical area for a team talk.
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.
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.
The measures were agreed at the Premier League AGM earlier this month.
