Premier League Has Clear and Obvious Problem with Holding – What Can Be Done?

The Premier League has a clear and obvious problem, and it is not the officiating of handballs or the consistency of VAR. It is the endemic, unchecked, and often cynical grappling in the penalty area that has turned set-pieces into a chaotic wrestling match. The latest flashpoint came at the London Stadium, where West Ham United felt aggrieved after a late equaliser against Arsenal was chalked off. While the Hammers’ complaints about a foul in the build-up are unlikely to gain much traction—given the sheer volume of similar incidents that go unpunished every weekend—the incident has shone a much-needed spotlight on a rot that has been festering for years.

English football now faces a difficult decision. Do we continue to allow the penalty box to resemble a rugby scrum, or do we finally enforce the laws of the game? The answer is not simple, but the status quo is no longer acceptable. Let’s dissect why this crisis exists and what tangible solutions can restore sanity to the Premier League’s most chaotic zone.

The Anatomy of the Crisis: Why Holding Has Become the Norm

To understand the scale of the problem, one must look beyond the isolated incident at West Ham. The Premier League has become a battleground for set-piece specialists, where the primary skill is not heading the ball, but preventing your opponent from moving. Every corner kick or free-kick delivery now triggers a pre-orchestrated dance of shirt-pulling, bear hugs, and subtle obstruction.

Why has this become so prevalent? The answer lies in the risk-reward calculation. Referees, already under immense pressure, are notoriously reluctant to award penalties for holding. The logic is flawed but understandable: a penalty is a high-value punishment, and officials are hesitant to decide a game on a perceived “soft” foul. This creates a perverse incentive. Coaches like Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola now employ dedicated set-piece coaches who drill their players on how to “game the system”—initiating contact that is hard to see in real time but clear on replay.

The statistics are damning. A recent analysis of Premier League corners showed that over 60% of aerial duels in the six-yard box involve some form of illegal holding. Yet, penalty awards for such infractions are vanishingly rare. This is not a conspiracy; it is a systemic failure of enforcement. The “clear and obvious” standard, originally designed for VAR, has inadvertently become a shield for defenders. If the holding isn’t a chokehold, it is often deemed not egregious enough to warrant a spot-kick.

VAR’s Role: A Tool for Clarity or a Source of Confusion?

The introduction of VAR was supposed to solve this. It has, in many ways, made it worse. The technology has exposed the sheer volume of grappling, but the protocol for intervention remains muddled. The Premier League’s directive to VAR officials is to only overturn a decision if the on-field referee made a “clear and obvious error.” This creates a paradox: if the referee didn’t see the holding—or chose not to call it—is that an error?

Take the West Ham-Arsenal incident. The ball went into the net, and the referee initially awarded the goal. VAR then intervened, suggesting a foul by West Ham’s Tomas Soucek on Arsenal’s Gabriel. On replay, there was contact. But was it a “clear and obvious” foul? In a vacuum, perhaps not. But in the context of the Premier League’s current standard—where ten similar holds occur per game—the intervention felt arbitrary.

The real issue is that VAR is being used as a safety net for egregious misses, not as a tool to enforce the law consistently. If the Premier League wants to fix this, it must change the protocol. The solution is not to remove VAR but to instruct officials to review every potential holding incident in the box, much like they do for offside. This would be time-consuming, but it would send a clear message: grappling is not acceptable.

What Can Be Done? Three Concrete Solutions

The Premier League cannot afford to wait another season. The integrity of the competition is at stake. Here are three actionable steps that could reclaim the penalty area from the wrestlers.

1. Implement a “Zero Tolerance” Preseason Directive

This is the most effective short-term fix. Every summer, the Premier League issues directives to referees. Next season, the directive must be clear: any holding, pulling, or obstruction in the penalty area during a set-piece will result in a penalty or a free kick to the attacking team. Yes, this will lead to a flood of early-season penalties. There will be chaos. But the chaos will be temporary. Players are intelligent. They will adapt. If a defender knows that a single hand on an opponent’s shirt will result in a spot-kick, they will stop doing it. The NHL did this with obstruction penalties in the 2000s, and it transformed the sport. Football can do the same.

2. Use VAR to Enforce the Laws, Not Just “Clear and Obvious” Errors

The current VAR protocol is too restrictive. The Premier League should adopt a model similar to the one used for handballs in the box: if a player’s arm is used to impede an opponent’s movement, it is a foul, regardless of intent. VAR should be empowered to check every goal from a set-piece for holding, and if a foul is identified, the goal should be disallowed or a penalty awarded. This would require a cultural shift in how we view the game, but it is the only way to create consistency. The “clear and obvious” test should be reserved for subjective decisions, not for objective fouls like holding.

3. Empower the Referee to Use Sin-Bins for Persistent Infringement

This is a radical but necessary suggestion. If a defender is caught holding repeatedly, the referee should have the power to issue a temporary dismissal (sin-bin) for a set period. The threat of playing a man down for ten minutes would be a far greater deterrent than a yellow card. Currently, a defender can commit three or four holding fouls in a match and only receive one caution. A sin-bin would change that calculation instantly. It would also reduce the number of cynical tactical fouls that break up attacking momentum.

Predictions: The Path Forward

If the Premier League does nothing, the problem will only worsen. We will see more goals disallowed, more fan outrage, and more coaches designing set-piece routines that rely on illegal contact. The league risks becoming a laughingstock, where results are decided by who can grapple more effectively.

However, there is reason for optimism. The IFAB (International Football Association Board) has already shown a willingness to experiment with new rules, such as the “goalkeeper holding the ball for eight seconds” law. The next logical step is to tackle holding. I predict that within the next two seasons, we will see a major crackdown. The Premier League will likely pilot a “stricter enforcement” trial in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup or FA Cup before rolling it out to the top flight.

The key is communication. The league must explain to fans, players, and managers that the goal is not to kill the physicality of the game, but to restore fairness. A header from a corner should be decided by jumping ability and timing, not by who can commit the most subtle foul.

Conclusion: A Game of Football, Not Wrestling

The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet. It is a product, and that product is currently being tarnished by a clear and obvious problem with holding. The West Ham-Arsenal incident is merely the latest symptom of a disease that has been allowed to spread. The solution requires courage from the authorities. They must be willing to endure short-term backlash for long-term gain.

Football is a simple game. The rules are clear: you cannot hold an opponent. It is time for the Premier League to enforce those rules with conviction. If they do, we will see a more fluid, more exciting, and more honest game. If they don’t, we can expect more controversies, more VAR debates, and a sport that increasingly resembles a choreographed bout of Greco-Roman wrestling. The choice is theirs. The clock is ticking.

Source: Based on news from Sky Sports.