Premier League referees will award more penalties for holding, Webb says
Premier League referees will be awarding more penalties for holding in the penalty area this season, according to Howard Webb, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO). Webb stated that there are too many instances of players clearly pulling back their opponents, and the PGMO has provided new guidance to referees to address this issue. The aim is to reduce the number of incidents where a player's movement is impeded by an opponent. This decision follows consultations with club officials and leading players, who have all expressed concerns about the prevalence of this practice. Referees will not "forget all about it" in September, and fans can expect to see more penalties awarded for holding in the penalty area during the upcoming Premier League season.
Note: This is an AI-generated summary of the original article. For the full story, please visit the source link below.
