Premier League to relax red cards for hair pulling
Premier League referees will change the way they judge hair pulling next season after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26.
Officials will also be asked to place a greater emphasis on grappling and holding inside the area after it became commonplace on corners and set-pieces.
A solution to stop the goalkeeper “tactical timeout” is also set to be introduced.
The measures were agreed at the Premier League AGM earlier this month after consultation with the game improvement advisory board.
They form part of the “football principles” and “refereeing points of emphasis” for 2026-27.
All three red cards for hair pulling came through a video assistant referee review, and led to criticism from the managers of the players involved.
Everton‘s Michael Keane, Manchester United‘s Lisandro Martinez and Sunderland‘s Dan Ballard were all sent off for hair pulling after a VAR intervention.
United boss Michael Carrick called it “one of worst decisions I’ve seen” but lost an appeal to get the three-match ban overturned.
Stockport County defender Josh Dacres-Cogley was dismissed for the offence in the League One play-off final too.
But from next season, not every time a player is seen to pull an opponent’s hair will a red card be shown.
Instead, greater emphasis will be placed on both the level of force and the intention.
Everton boss David Moyes criticised the red card shown to Keane, claiming his player had received a ban for “absolutely nothing”.
However, the new guidance does not mean hair pulling will suddenly be tolerated.
Referees will be told to look for a “clear and deliberate action” which has “excessive force and/or brutality”.
It is likely that Keane would still be sent off – his holding and pulling the hair of Wolves‘ Tolu Arokodare deemed violent conduct.
But Ballard and Dacres-Cogley would probably be judged to be yellow-card offences – though the VAR cannot intervene for bookings.
Martinez’s red card would be considered a borderline case and open to interpretation.
The change is in intended to give more latitude to players who may accidentally hold onto an opponent’s hair.