Premier League referees' chief Howard Webb has vowed that officials will get tougher on holding in the penalty area this season -- but it will be done in a measured way so it lasts through the campaign.

In recent seasons there have been initiatives to tackle handball, added time and players kicking the ball away which have been very strictly applied at first and then rolled back, leading to accusations of a change of direction.

Webb explained that after speaking to captains and other stakeholders in the game that it was felt grappling, or holding, inside the area wasn't been penalised enough. But he insisted there should be no spike in penalties at the start of the season, and it should only be for clear and extreme actions.

"What's been pretty successful in the last couple of seasons,

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