The big refereeing changes Sunderland fans can expect next season, explained | OneFootball

The Premier League has announced new refereeing guidelines for 2026/27, raising the bar for hair-pull red cards and adding timing and VAR tweaks. The move follows several controversies last season.

Sunderland felt aggrieved when Dan Ballard was sent off after a VAR review in the 1-1 draw at Wolves in May. He became the second player dismissed for a hair pull on Tolu Arokodare, with Régis Le Bris arguing it was accidental during an aerial duel.

The changes stem from an end-of-season survey that informs the league’s Game Improvement Advisory Group, comprising the division, PGMO and top-tier clubs. It sets refereeing principles and points of emphasis.

Under the new guidance, a yellow card applies when a hair pull lacks excessive force or brutality. A red is for a clear, deliberate pull that uses excessive force or brutality. How Ballard’s case would be viewed remains unclear.

Other emphases include a restrained approach to handball, stricter action on holding at set plays, and more fouls for blocking goalkeepers moving towards the ball. This targets concerns over grappling and set-piece dominance.

IFAB-mandated law changes also arrive, many seen at the World Cup. Players treated must leave for at least one minute, double the previous guidance. A five-second countdown will punish deliberate delays at goal kicks and throw-ins, giving the opposition a throw-in or, if it was a goal kick, a corner.

A 10-second limit applies when a substituted player leaves, otherwise the incoming player must wait one minute after the restart to enter. VAR may now review incidents where a second yellow produces a red, but not potential second yellows. The league has not adopted an optional expansion to check wrongly awarded corners.

Source: Sunderland Echo