The Premier League is set to change how referees judge hair pulling, grappling, and set-piece contact next season, after a series of controversial VAR-driven red cards in 2025–26 triggered widespread debate across clubs and managers.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, under new “football principles” agreed at the Premier League AGM, officials will be told to focus less on automatic punishment for contact such as hair pulling, and more on whether an action is deliberate, forceful, and violent in nature.
A senior refereeing briefing summary made the intent clear: not every instance of hair pulling will now result in a sending-off.
“Instead, referees will be instructed to assess whether there is a “clear and deliberate action” involving “excessive force and/or brutality.”
The shift follows three high-profile dismissals, all upgraded after VAR intervention, involving Michael Keane of Everton, Lisandro Martínez of Manchester United, and Dan Ballard of Sunderland, as well
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