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Premier League news as referee chief Howard Webb explains controversial rule change for the new season

Referees are making handball decisions in a different way this season.(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Howard Webb - the head of refereeing organisation PGMOL - has shed light on why there hasn't been a single penalty awarded for handball in the Premier League this season. He explained that officials have become much more lenient following complaints from clubs about too many players being penalised.

In the 2023/24 Premier League season, a whopping 108 penalties were awarded, but many clubs protested that spot-kicks given for handballs were often too harsh, particularly when players' arms were in natural positions. This season, the handball law has been adjusted so that fewer penalties are given if a handball incident is not deliberate or if the player's arm is close to the body.

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Other notable changes include officials deciding to give a yellow card to players who have denied a goal-scoring opportunity through handball - as long as it's not deliberate. Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb clarified changes to the handball rule, which are already in place.

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 we know players' arms move." And that has made a significant impact this season.

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He went on: "So we said to the officials 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," as per reports from The Mirror.

Another change which has been introduced in the Premier League this season is reducing the number of VAR interventions unless the on-field decision from the referee is blatantly incorrect. Communication has also been enhanced, with disallowed goals set to be displayed on big screens in stadiums.

There has already been controversy around VAR this season. Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes received a red card against Tottenham, but officials at Stockley Park chose not to overturn the decision despite the Portugal international slipping before making contact with James Maddison.

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Fernandes later had the red card chalked off via an appeal. This follows a vote by Premier League clubs in June to retain VAR, involving Liverpool and Everton, with Wolves the only team opposing that technology.