Premier League cracks down on set-piece tactics

Premier League cracks down on set-piece tactics

The Premier League is set to enforce its holding and blocking rules at set pieces more strictly this season, but those rules remain unchanged.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Referee Paul Tierney reviews a decision with VAR during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Everton FC at Stamford Bridge on April 15, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Hamza Khaliq Rounat of The Times reports that holding offences in set-piece situations will be penalised more severely this season, especially when an attacking player is trying to stop the opposition.

However, ESPN’s Dale Johnson clarified that the “changes” are simply meant to emphasize what already exists in the rules regarding holding and blocking.

This is not a rule change, but simply an area of ​​focus for referees heading into the new season.

Referee Robert Jones shows Brentford’s Nathan Collins (not pictured) a yellow card during the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Brentford at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 9, 2024. (Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal were undoubtedly one of the teams that benefited from the way set-pieces were officiated for much of last season, scoring a number of goals through clever routines that took certain defenders out of play.

Ben White began to gain a reputation, especially for his underhand tactics in the corners.

But one of Arsenal’s strengths in corner kicks was their adaptability. They didn’t have a single routine that relied on White, but a variety of ways to score, and it was that variety that made them so effective.

Arsenal have already shown in pre-season that they are capable of scoring corner goals without any notable blocks or holds.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka takes a corner kick during Arsenal vs Lyon, a pre-season friendly ahead of the Emirates Cup final, at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 11, 2024. (Photo by Benjamin Kremer/AFP via Getty Images)

The concern among supporters is that Arsenal may find themselves criticised more often, with the belief that they somehow have an unfair advantage over the fact that they are simply very good at scoring from set pieces.

And is that something we so desperately need to punish – since defenders often employ the exact same tactics, so they too will be caught out, or should we just focus on stopping the attackers?

Does the game really need to find a way to stop a team that is so effective at scoring goals?

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