Howard Webb explains new Premier League rule after talks with 20 top-flight clubs

This play successful the Premier League, the handball instrumentality has been tweaked truthful that less penalties are awarded if an incidental is not deliberate oregon if the player's limb is adjacent to the body

Referees' main Howard Webb has explained wherefore determination has not been a azygous punishment for handball successful the Premier League this play - saying officials person go much lenient aft clubs complained that excessively galore players were being penalised.

In the 2023-24 Premier League season, 108 penalties were fixed but galore clubs protested that spot kicks fixed for handballs were often excessively harsh, particularly erstwhile players' arms were successful earthy positions.

This play the handball instrumentality has been tweaked truthful that less penalties are awarded if a handball incidental is not deliberate oregon if the player's limb is adjacent to the body.

Other changes person seen officials determine to springiness a yellowish paper to players who person denied a goalscoring accidental done handball - arsenic agelong arsenic it is not deliberate.

Now Webb - who heads up the referee's PGMOL organisation - has clarified changes to the handball rule, saying the determination was taken to

Speaking connected Match Officials Mic'd Up, helium said: "We consulted with tons of stakeholders successful the crippled during the second portion of past play and the connection we were being fixed is that there's intelligibly excessively galore handball penalties being fixed successful the English crippled successful the Premier League for situations wherever players are playing reasonably usually and people [where] we cognize players' arms move.

"So we said to the officials [to] look retired for those situations wherever a subordinate either deliberately handles the shot oregon has an limb that's good distant from the body.

"We've seen concern wherever the balls deed the limb successful the punishment country this season, but the referees applied what we asked them to bash and they've stepped distant successful presumption of handball unless it's deliberate oregon precise intelligibly unjustifiable."

Another alteration that has travel into the Premier League this play is is lessening the magnitude of VAR interventions unless the on-call determination from the referee is intelligibly wrong. Communication has besides been improved, with goals that person been disallowed acceptable to beryllium shown connected large screens successful stadiums.

There has been contention implicit VAR already this season, with Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes shown a reddish paper against Tottenham. Officials astatine Stockley Park opted not to overturn the determination contempt the subordinate slipping earlier making interaction with James Maddison.

It comes aft Premier League clubs voted to support VAR successful cognition successful June pursuing a ballot by stakeholders, with Wolves the lone squad successful absorption of the technology.

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