Bad ref decisions - for and against - season 2025/26

[ChesterBlue]

Much worse than the straight red Simons got against big Virgin

 

[Bazlar]

Whats really scary is Keanes was pulled up by VAR as violent conduct but Hwangs studs down the back of Armstrongs leg wasnt. He's raked his studs down the back of his calf nowhere near the ball.
Are you seriously suggesting the first one was deemed more a violent act than the second.
Like i said. Scary how they see things.

See my post just a few before yours

 

[ToffeeTim]

If it was accidental it wouldn’t be a red card. Personally don’t think that many objective viewers would come to that conclusion.

Was having a read on the referees forum on Facebook today - one of the easiest decisions you’ll ever make was the unanimous consensus. Mike Dean also mentioned a stick on red on Sky Sports last night.

You really think he meant it?

I dont think he even realised it happened.

 

[Furey1878]

Everyone of our players should grow out dreads or ponytails as they give you a tactical advantage.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Where have you found this?

I've searched and searched for any specific mention of hair pulling and found nothing

I searched on AI and couldn't find anything

It's probably me and my lack of IT skills, but I would like to read the section in the laws that mentions hair pulling

 

[Lanolin]

Why though? And if that is true why did Gallagher dismiss it out of hand.

Well you'd have to ask him that I suppose, wouldn't you? I can certainly see why it would be the case, it's perfectly logical to me. Sometimes you see a very slight bit of contact in the process of a challenge in the middle of the pitch which a referee blows for, but you don't want somebody getting a free shot at goal for that sort of thing. It would make sense to me that there's a higher threshold when the punishment is clearly so much more severe. I may be wrong about them being told it, but I'm sure i've seen them talking about it on that Howard Webb/Michael Owen thing.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

You really think he meant it?

I dont think he even realised it happened.

I'd say he meant to grab his shirt.
Nothing more.
It was a strange incident to go back to for var

 

[heatmeiser]

I searched on AI and couldn't find anything

It's probably me and my lack of IT skills, but I would like to read the section in the laws that mentions hair pulling

I'm not one to trust AI results so often because they come out with utter guff, but it does clearly say there's no specific mention of hair pulling in the rules so I find that quite odd

 

[heatmeiser]

I'd say he meant to grab his shirt.
Nothing more.
It was a strange incident to go back to for var

I think the refs have been told to clamp down on hair pulling since the Cucarella incident went unpunished and it was just a very Everton moment that we were the next team to get it in the neck

 

[Marius57]

Where have you found this?

I've searched and searched for any specific mention of hair pulling and found nothing

Just googled ‘premier league violent conduct rule’ and it was like the 2nd link

Violent conduct

www.premierleague.com

The way the club may well appeal
Is that violent conduct (which is what they have said it was for) is technically off the ball incidents in the guidance. Whereas this may technically fall under serious foul play (as it was challenging for the ball) where it doesn’t specify.

But hair pulling is in the rules. So let’s just not give them a decision to make.

 

[Obes]

I searched on AI and couldn't find anything

It's probably me and my lack of IT skills, but I would like to read the section in the laws that mentions hair pulling

There is no mention of hair/hair pulling in the current Laws of the Game. So this ‘letter of the law’ that is peddled is, frankly, bollocks.

For an offence of violent conduct to be a sending-off, it has to be with excessive force and brutality. Violent conduct is when NOT challenging for the ball.

If they want to hide behind the vague Laws about serious foul play, which is when challenging FOR the ball, OK. But the referee clearly stated violent conduct.

Laws, eh.

 

[Marius57]

Then the way they're being told to apply the rules is wrong, because I just don't agree that that action constitutes violent conduct. Again, this isn't me crying conspiracy or corruption or whatever, I'm just saying that if that is seen as a red card offence then things have gone badly wrong somewhere because while you might not find a ref who thinks that's not a red card, you won't find a player who thinks it is one.

I agree with this. It shouldn’t be especially when you see inconsistencies and their player get away with an awful challenge.

But there is an aspect of us knowing the rules and not putting the ref/var in a position to make a decision.

 

[Gilbert..]

You really think he meant it?

I dont think he even realised it happened.

Its an instinct thing imo. When he started to jump i dont think he had any intention of grabbing his hair.
That challenge goes on 20 times in every game where you give a little pull on the back of the shirt if the player has short hair.
Instinct rather than malicious for me.

 

[chrismpw]

 

[Simo]

I searched on AI and couldn't find anything

It's probably me and my lack of IT skills, but I would like to read the section in the laws that mentions hair pulling

There's a niche market for it