Football’s lawmakers will look at how the game can best deal with grappling at corners after this summer’s World Cup, the Press Association understands.
Holding and wrestling at corners and other set-pieces has been a feature of the Premier League season, most notably on Sunday when a crucial goal for West Ham against Arsenal was ruled out by VAR for a foul on Gunners goalkeeper David Raya, impacting both the title race and the fight to avoid relegation.
The Hammers are reported to have complained to referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and forward Jarrod Bowen both criticising what they see as a lack of consistency in penalising holding and foul challenges at set-pieces.
PA understands this topic is likely to be discussed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the game’s laws, during its next round of discussions starting in the autumn.
IFAB director Ian Maxwell, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, was asked about the issue at the IFAB annual general meeting in February and said: “It wasn’t discussed specifically at today’s meeting. Anything we can do to try to eradicate that type of behaviour…
“We’re aware of it from a Scottish perspective, I’m not sure it’s necessarily getting worse. There will be geographical changes – football is played all over the world – different countries, different players will deal with things in slightly different ways.
“It’s within the protocol for match officials to take decisions on that (whether a foul has been committed) if they feel it is appropriate at the time, so they have got that opportunity.”
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praised the officials – referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Darren England – for their handling of the issue.
“It was a call from the ref that is very brave, but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season,” he said.
“When I have to be critical, I have been. And today I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide, away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call. And when you look at the action in that way, it is an obvious error.”
Nuno and Bowen strongly disagreed, however.
The Portuguese coach said: “You look at every corner in the Premier League and something like this is happening, not just today, but on all the pitches.
“I am talking about the lack of consistency. The players are confused and frustrated and they don’t understand it. It is upsetting. It is up to them to solve it, there is a referee and VAR, but the referees confuse themselves.”
Bowen added: “There’s lots of holding and grappling that goes on in the box. Are you going to look at those every time and give a penalty? Because that’s the only way that is the right way to do it.”
PGMO’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb is expected to address the incident during Tuesday night’s edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up, which will air on Sky Sports and TNT at 7pm.
