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

The Premier League has announced new refereeing guidelines for the 2026/27 campaign, tightening the focus on hair pulls, set-piece holding, time-wasting and limited VAR use.

An end-of-season survey now informs its Game Improvement Advisory Group, which includes representatives from the division, PGMO and top-flight clubs, before refereeing principles and points of emphasis are set.

Hair pulls will generally draw a yellow card if officials judge there was no excessive force or brutality. A red will apply only for a clear, deliberate hair pull with excessive force or brutality, or both. How VAR would have handled Dan Ballard’s incident under this guidance is unclear, though the threshold for violent conduct has been raised.

Referees will persist with a less is more approach to handball, and place greater weight on penalising holding at set plays. There will also be a firmer stance on challenges that block a goalkeeper’s movement towards the ball, addressing concerns over grappling and set-piece dominance.

IFAB-mandated law changes, many visible at the World Cup, will also come in. Players who receive treatment must now leave the pitch for at least one minute. A five-second countdown for deliberate delays at goal kicks and throw-ins will lead to a turnover, with a corner awarded if a goal kick exceeds the limit.

A 10-second limit will apply for players to leave during substitutions, with the incoming player waiting one minute after play restarts if the limit is breached. VAR will be able to review when a second yellow results in a red, but will not step in for potential second yellows. The league has not adopted an optional expansion to check errors such as incorrect corners.

Source: Sunderland Echo