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The Premier League will look to clamp down on soft penalties in the season ahead, while attackers are set to benefit from the scrapping of so-called ‘toenail’ offsides.
Referees’ chief Mike Riley says the bar for awarding fouls and spot-kicks for lower-body contact will be raised, following feedback from players, coaches and chief executives gathered in a March survey.
On-field officials and VARs will be told to establish clear contact, whether it has a consequence and whether an attacking player has tried to use that contact to win a penalty.
It is understood challenges such as the ones on England’s Raheem Sterling in the Euro 2020 matches against Scotland and Denmark, for example, would not be given under the Premier League approach, and that a Premier League VAR would have intervened to overturn the spot-kick England were awarded in the semi-final against Denmark.