Premier League sets new hair-pulling threshold and wider refereeing tweaks for 2026/27 | OneFootball

The Premier League confirmed new refereeing principles and IFAB law changes for 2026/27, raising the threshold for hair-pulling red cards and adjusting VAR after a season of controversy.

Sunderland’s Dan Ballard was dismissed after VAR in the 1-1 draw at Molineux in May for a hair pull on Tolu Arokodare, which carried a three-game ban. Régis Le Bris argued it was accidental and called for greater nuance.

Now, yellow will apply when a hair pull lacks excessive force or brutality. Red will be kept for clear, deliberate pulls using excessive force. How VAR would view Ballard’s case remains unclear, though the bar has risen.

The shift follows an end-of-season survey and advice from the Game Improvement Advisory Group, which includes the league, PGMO and clubs. Emphases include a lighter hand on handball, tougher action on holding, and tighter policing of blocks on goalkeepers.

Mandatory IFAB updates, some already seen at the World Cup, require treated players to leave for at least one minute. A five-second countdown will punish deliberate delays at goal kicks or throw-ins, handing the restart to opponents, or a corner for goal-kick delays.

Substituted players now have 10 seconds to depart, otherwise the replacement must wait one minute after play restarts. VAR can review incidents where a second yellow leads to a red, but not potential second yellows, and its scope will not extend to wrongly awarded corners.

Source: Sunderland Echo