Holding, pushing, shoving, jostling and grappling inside the penalty area became something of an epidemic in the Premier League last season.

🇬🇭 Here's What Happened

"You get the feeling now that referees really don't want to get involved in any of it,"  Everton  boss David Moyes said after a particularly fractious game against  Manchester United  in February.

Then came  West Ham's disallowed goal against Arsenal  in May, when up to five potential fouls occurred simultaneously.

It was one of the key topics when captains, coaches, referees and other stakeholders were consulted in the summer.

📌 Key Details

The Premier League season will get under way on Friday night when champions  Arsenal  host promoted Coventry, with referees instructed to be stronger, stricter and more ready to penalise clear non-footballing actions.

What does this mean? Will it be successful? And are the players and coaches on board too?

The fabric of the laws has not changed but the focus on player behaviour has.

Officials - including in the English Football League and the Women's Super League - will now pay more attention to 'holding actions that have clear material impact'.

The greatest focus will remain on players who are prevented from playing the ball, as that affects the passage of play.

Yet of the 20 missed VAR interventions last season, a quarter were penalties not awarded when a player had been wrestled to the ground off the ball.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana