Premier League eases hair-pulling, set-piece rules

Premier League officials will fundamentally change how they judge incidents of hair pulling and set-piece grappling starting in the 2026-27 season, marking a significant departure from recent standards after a wave of controversial red cards. The adjustments, agreed upon at the league's recent Annual General Meeting, aim to shift the focus from automatic punishment to assessing a player's intent and the level of force used.

Under the new guidance, hair pulling will not automatically result in a red card, a change from the 2025-26 season when the act was classified as violent conduct. Instead, referees have been instructed to issue a red card only when there is a clear and deliberate action involving excessive force or brutality. Instances deemed to be without such force will now warrant a yellow card. This revision follows three high-profile dismissals last season for hair pulling, all upgraded to red cards after VAR review: Everton's Michael Keane, Manchester United's Lisandro Martínez, and Sunderland's Dan Ballard. Josh Dacres-Cogley of Stockport County was also sent off for the same offense in the League One playoff final.

The decisions drew sharp criticism from managers....