The Premier League will be changing many things this season in regard to officiating matches, but one change is going under the radar: limiting an attacker’s ability to ‘stop the movement’ of defenders or goalkeepers during set pieces.

The Times:

The offence of holding (ie blocking or obstructing) will be penalised more stringently in set pieces, when an attacker is trying to stop the movement of an opponent.

I agree with the change because corner kicks have become a bit ridiculous. It was free for all in the box, border-lining on wrestling. Depending on how stringent they are, this is a massive change.

If you can score from every corner, how do other teams compete? Teams work hard to score in open play, and you can just waltz up and bang one in from nothing. A set play run from the training ground with the player unimpeded kicking the ball. That is gamebreaking.

A major part of why those that are successful from set pieces are the holding, the screens. It looks more like basketball setting a pick and roll or a rugby line-out. Shielding the ball from the goalkeeper in the air was becoming more common.