Premier League Referees to Tighten Set-Piece Holding Enforcement

Premier League referees will take a firmer approach to grappling and off-ball holding at corners and free-kicks during the 2026-27 season. The laws of the game have not changed, but officials have been instructed to penalise clear actions that materially prevent an opponent from challenging for or playing the ball.

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BBC Sport reported that the revised emphasis follows consultation with captains, coaches, referees and other stakeholders after set-piece incidents became a recurring issue last season. The guidance will also apply in the English Football League and Women's Super League, with officials expected to issue fewer warnings and take more direct action when an offence is clear.

The conduct under particular scrutiny includes players concentrating only on an opponent rather than the ball, making no attempt to compete for it, holding with both arms, or using sustained and forceful contact against a player or their clothing. A defender facing away from the delivery solely to block an attacker's movement could therefore concede a foul or penalty.

Physical contact will remain part of the game, and the Premier League does not intend to treat every collision as an offence. Goalkeepers will not automatically receive a foul after incidental contact, but an opponent restricting a goalkeeper's arm while the ball is playable would still be penalised. Referees will continue to apply the competition's established high threshold when assessing contact.

Pro Ref, the renamed refereeing body in England, has visited clubs to explain the approach with match footage. Players were shown two incidents that went unpunished last season but would be penalised under the new guidance: Keane Lewis-Potter's off-ball hold on Tomas Soucek during Brentford's match with West Ham, and Luke O'Nien pulling down Pascal Struijk by the neck when Sunderland faced Leeds.

The change could affect a major source of Premier League goals. BBC Sport said 269 goals were scored from set pieces last season, excluding penalties and direct free-kicks, accounting for a competition-record 25.7% of all goals. Arsenal led the league with 25 set-piece goals, while Manchester United scored 21 and Tottenham 19. The test will be whether consistent penalties change player behaviour while preserving legitimate physical contests.