The Premier League's new plan to end corner chaos
The Premier League is implementing stricter officiating guidelines to curb excessive holding and grappling during corner kicks. Referees have been instructed to penalize non-footballing physical actions that disrupt the flow of play.
Why it matters
Changes to officiating rules directly impact the fairness and entertainment value of professional football matches.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Players from both sides were camped inside the six-yard box when Everton met Manchester United in February
Football issues correspondent Published 20 August 2026 Holding, 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.
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