Premier League penalty rules changing in new season? Referee's stern message

The new season means new players, new coaches and new expectations. However, another change may be seen in the English Premier League in the 2026-27 season - the number of penalties inside the box may increase. The new season begins today with the match between champions Arsenal and Coventry City. And referees have been given special instructions before the start of the season.

No changes have been made to the rules. However, Howard Webb, the head of England's referees, has given a message that the application of the rules will be stricter this time. Referees will be more active in unnecessary pulling, pushing and holding jerseys in the penalty box, especially during corners and free kicks.

Such incidents were quite regular during set pieces last season. Incidents such as holding jerseys, blocking opponents with both hands, pushing or throwing them to the ground were often seen. According to the BBC report, almost a quarter of the 20 ‘missed interventions’ of VAR last season were incidents where a player who was off the ball was thrown but no penalty was awarded.

This time, referees have been asked to pay special attention to a few things. Whether a player is simply holding an opponent without paying attention to the ball, or whether he is holding an opponent with both hands without trying to play the ball or challenge them - these issues will be considered seriously.

In addition, referees will also be keeping an eye on whether the jersey is being pulled for a long time or whether the opponent is being held in a way that disrupts his normal movement.

Howard Webb's message suggests that this time the referees want to move forward with the ‘less caution, more punishment’ policy. However, this does not mean that penalties will be awarded for minor physical contact in the box. There will always be opportunities for normal physical fighting in football and referees will still maintain a ‘high limit’. But incidents of pushing and shoving that are not related to the normal competition of football will be looked at more strictly than before.

As a result, it is expected that the number of penalties may increase in the new season. Even excluding goals from penalties and direct free-kicks in the Premier League last season, 269 goals were scored from set pieces. 25.7 percent of the total goals came from set pieces, which is the highest among the top five European leagues.

Since it is during set pieces that the most incidents of pushing and shoving in the penalty box occur, the new instructions for referees may also have an impact on the number of penalties. In other words, the 2026-27 Premier League may see a new record in the number of penalties as well as goals.