Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Tue 14 April 2026 15:40, UK

Everton‘s Michael Keane was sent off against Wolves for pulling an opponent’s hair earlier this season – but over the years, Premier League refereeing has been too inconsistent on the matter.

Keane was banned for three matches in January after being adjudged to have pulled Tolu Arokodare’s hair in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Hair pulling is not specifically mentioned in IFAB Law 12, but it is categorised as violent conduct. The hair is attached to the scalp, so if the head is pulled back, that is seen as evidence of force or brutality.

David Moyes, however, thought Keane’s red card was harsh at the time, saying: “If you have longer hair, then there’s a fair chance you’ll get it pulled. But if you don’t pull the hair, there is no chance you will get sent off.”

Months on from Keane’s Everton dismissal, Lisandro Martinez was sent off for Manchester United for pulling the ponytail of Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

While this suggests officials are being consistent, past examples highlight how that may not be the case.

‘One of the worst decisions I’ve seen’

After Leeds’ win over United on Monday, caretaker boss Michael Carrick said the decision to send off Martinez was one of the worst decisions he had seen.

Paul Tierney showed the 28-year-old a straight red after going to the pitchside monitor. Martinez is now facing a three-match ban, although United may appeal this.

Questions are being asked over whether this rule should be in place. Regardless of that, this has been inconsistently officiated on for a while now.

In February, Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo said he had his hair pulled by Fulham’s Kenny Tete in the box, but the officials decided there was no clear evidence of violent conduct, despite footage surfacing.

Who was the referee in charge that day? Tierney.

Former City goalkeeper Joe Hart later said on the incident, “I don’t know [why Tete wasn’t sent off]. I’d like to think I knew what they meant by these rules. If the rule is, ‘if you pull someone’s hair, then you’re getting sent off’, then of course that’s a red card.”

Back in 2023-24, Tottenham’s Cristian Romero escaped punishment for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in a game against Chelsea.

And in the women’s game, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor raged after Arsenal’s Katie McCabe escaped a red card despite appearing to pull Alyssa Thompson’s hair in their Champions League quarter-final on 1 April.

Conversely, Southampton’s Jack Stephens was red-carded for doing it to Cucurella last season, as was Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves at the Club World Cup.

Consistency can be in short supply in the Premier League, but this is an area that needs to be tightened up, not just around this issue.

Everton have bigger fish to fry

Everton will hope there will be no refereeing mistakes against Liverpool on Sunday as Moyes’ team gears up for a European qualification push.

After a 2-2 draw with fellow contenders Brentford, Everton will hope to get one over on their old rivals at Hill Dickinson Stadium in their first Merseyside derby at this ground.

The Toffees are behind the Bees on goal difference, but what looked like a two-horse race for the Conference League qualification spot has now widened to, arguably, six.

Brighton are a point back on 46, Sunderland are level on points with them in 10th, and Bournemouth and Fulham are on 45 and 44, respectively.

If Everton fail to beat their Merseyside rivals on Sunday, the complexion of the league table could look rather different.

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