Callum Wilson's late equaliser being ruled out by VAR against Arsenal has sparked a renewed debate around holding at set pieces, which could prompt a law change this summer
Pablo of West Ham United fouls David Raya of Arsenal resulting in a late equalising goal for West Ham being disallowed by VAR
The issue of holding at set pieces will be reviewed by IFAB this summer(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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Grappling at corners will be on the agenda of football's lawmakers when they meet after the World Cup this summer. The issue has become a hot topic in the Premier League and took centre stage on Sunday when West Ham's 95th-minute equaliser against Arsenal was chalked off following a VAR review.
The decision by referee Chris Kavanagh to rule out Callum Wilson's equaliser has caused a huge stir due to its significance in the title race and relegation picture. West Ham are planning to complain to the PGMO, believing that the rules have been applied inconsistently this season.
Kavanagh was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Darren England to watch replays of West Ham forward Pablo putting his arm across Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. After a near five-minute delay, he ruled out Wilson's leveller for a foul.
PGMO’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb is expected to provide his take on the incident during Tuesday night’s edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up which will air on Sky Sports and TNT Sports at 7pm.
And Press Association reports that the topic is likely to be discussed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the game’s laws, during its next round of discussions starting in the autumn.
IFAB director Ian Maxwell, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, was asked about the issue at the IFAB annual general meeting in February and said: “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.
A VAR review during West Ham United vs Arsenal
The VAR review is the most high-profile in Premier League history
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“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 got that opportunity.”
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has proposed a solution to the chaos that currently takes place in the box during set pieces. 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.
"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."
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