The issue of holding at set pieces is set to be reviewed by football's lawmakers this summer, following a controversial VAR decision that disallowed West Ham's late equaliser against Arsenal. The incident has reignited debate over grappling in the penalty area, with potential rule changes on the horizon.
VAR Controversy in Title Race Clash
During Sunday's Premier League match, West Ham thought they had snatched a point when Callum Wilson scored a 95th-minute equaliser. However, referee Chris Kavanagh, after consulting the pitchside monitor following a VAR review, ruled out the goal due to a foul by West Ham forward Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. The decision has caused a huge stir due to its implications for both the title race and the relegation battle.
West Ham are planning to complain to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), arguing that the rules have been applied inconsistently throughout the season. PGMOL's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb is expected to address the incident on Tuesday night's edition of Match Officials Mic'd Up, airing on Sky Sports and TNT Sports at 7pm.
IFAB to Discuss Set-Piece Rules
The Press Association reports that the topic is likely to be discussed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) during its next round of discussions starting in the autumn. IFAB director Ian Maxwell, who is also chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, was asked about the issue at the IFAB annual general meeting in February. He stated: "It wasn't discussed specifically at today's meeting. Anything we can do to try to eradicate that type of behaviour... We're aware of it from a Scottish perspective, I'm not sure it's necessarily getting worse. There will be geographical changes – football is played all over the world – different countries, different players will deal with things in slightly different ways."
Maxwell added: "It's within the protocol for match officials to take decisions on that (whether a foul has been committed) if they feel it is appropriate at the time, so they have that opportunity."
Proposed Solution to End Set-Piece Chaos
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has proposed a simple law change to address the chaos at corners. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "I think there is too much skirmishing generally at corners anyway. My idea that I have been saying for three years now is that I believe attacking players shouldn't be allowed in the goal area before the corner is taken, so that would give natural separation between defenders and attackers and it would stop the intermingling before the ball is in play."
Cann explained: "You can't give a defensive free kick or a penalty if the ball is not in play, so it would stop this constant pushing and grappling at corners if we separate the players. It is a simple law change for attackers to have to start outside the goal area and it would avoid these situations."
This proposal could gain traction as IFAB looks to clarify the rules and reduce controversial decisions. The VAR review in the Arsenal-West Ham match is already being described as one of the most high-profile in Premier League history, and the fallout is likely to accelerate discussions on set-piece regulations.
