A debate has erupted over whether hair pulling constitutes violent conduct in football, specifically in the Premier League, after several red card incidents. Managers and pundits have weighed in on the issue, questioning the severity of the punishment.
Managers Question Red Card Decisions
Everton manager David Moyes stated that VAR Chris Kavanagh should have been “embarrassed” for advising a red card review after Michael Keane pulled the hair of Wolves’ Tolu Arokodare. Manchester United manager Michael Carrick described Lisandro Martinez’s dismissal against Leeds United as a “shocking decision”. Moyes had previously called Keane’s sending off against Wolves “ridiculous”.
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer summed up the general opinion of former players on BBC Breakfast. Shearer said of Martinez’s dismissal: “Never a red card, not in the Premier League…We need to be careful about where the game is heading if that is being deemed violent conduct and a red card. It’s not what we want to see.”
The Premier League’s Stance on Hair Pulling
Since August 2022, a strict approach has been adopted after Tottenham defender Cristian Romero tugged back Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella by his hair and the VAR, Mike Dean, opted not to intervene for an obvious red card. If there has been definitive evidence of a hair pull, it has led to a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention for violent conduct and a three-match ban.
Referees’ boss Howard Webb was very clear that hair pulling was “quite an offensive thing”. Webb said, “It was the appropriate outcome…It was unusual but if we see it again next week it will be the same outcome.”
Consistency vs. Common Sense
The strict application of the rule means that there are cases, like Keane and Martinez, where the punishment appears too severe. If you want consistency then you cannot have common sense too.
- There has only been one other VAR red card in the Premier League, for Southampton’s Jack Stephens on Cucurella.
- There have been several other instances in the Club World Cup, Women’s Super League and Women’s Euros.
- Even in the EFL, which does not have VAR, Ipswich’s Leif Davis was recently banned after being picked up on camera pulling the hair of Leicester’s Caleb Okoli.
Hair pulling is usually only spotted through video evidence. It happens off the ball but is more identifiable than the subtle elbow to the chest or a nip to the stomach.
The one-size-fits-all approach to hair pulling is controversial.