Howard Webb confirms Premier League rule change impacting Liverpool

Howard Webb, the chief of refereeing body PGMOL, has given insight into the lack of penalties for handball in the Premier League this term. He detailed how referees have eased up after feedback from teams regarding too many players getting pinged for handballs.

During the 2023/24 season, a staggering 108 penalties were given, sparking grievances from several clubs about the severity of decisions for handball, especially when a player's arm was deemed to be in a natural position. Adjustments to the handball rule now mean that fewer penalties are handed out for unintentional handball incidents or when the arm is near the body.

Other key amendments include issuing yellow cards rather than reds to players who inadvertently prevent a clear goal-scoring opportunity via handball. While appearing on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb elaborated on these tweaks to the handball legislation, already operational.

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Webb, 53, said: "We consulted with lots of stakeholders in the game, during the latter part of last season, and the message we were being given is there's clearly too many handball penalties being given in the English game in the Premier League for situations where players are playing fairly normally and naturally [where] we know players' arms move."

This shift has been evident throughout the current season. He added: "So we said to the officials [to] look out for those situations where a player either deliberately handles the ball or has an arm that's well away from the body.

"We have seen situations where the ball has hit an arm in the penalty area this season, but the referees have applied what we asked them to, and they've stepped away in terms of handball unless it's deliberate or very clearly unjustifiable."

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This season has also seen a notable shift in the Premier League with a reduction in VAR interventions, stepping in only when the referee's on-field decision is evidently erroneous.

Enhanced communication is part of the change, including the new practice of showing disallowed goals on the big screens at stadiums.

Controversies have still surfaced concerning VAR this campaign. A high-profile incident involving Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes occurred against Tottenham—where despite getting a red card after clashing with James Maddison, the dismissal stood even though VAR officials at Stockley Park observed Fernandes slipping before the contact took place.

However, Fernandes successfully had his red card rescinded following an appeal. This incident comes after a June vote by Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Everton, to keep VAR in play, with only Wolves standing against the continuation of the technology.