Fifa planning last-minute World Cup rule change which would see fouls given while ball is off pitch

A major clampdown on penalty box grappling is being planned for the World Cup.

Under proposals being worked on by senior Fifa figures, referees are set to be told to intervene and penalise blatant pushes, pulls and tugs BEFORE the ball is in play at corners and free-kicks.

The dramatic reversal comes in the wake of the widespread carnage in the Prem.

West Ham are still seething over Callum Wilson’s disallowed injury-time “equaliser” against Arsenal after a VAR intervention saw Pablo’s foul on David Raya wipe out the home side’s strike.

And it has now emerged that figures at the very top of the world game want officials to be empowered to act as soon as they see an incident – in a bid to prevent the tournament descending into a globally-watched WWE-style frenzy.

It is understood that what is being envisaged is a tournament-specific directive which match officials will be ordered to implement when they arrive at their Miami World Cup base early next month.

Whistlers including the Prem duo of Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, as well as their assistants, will be told that the spate of ugly skirmishes requires strong and decisive preventative action.

If it is introduced – despite the Laws of the game stating non-violent offences can only be punished when the ball is in play – it would mean free-kicks, penalties and yellow and red cards could be awarded.

And VARs will be under instructions to look for illegal off the ball blocking, with one example being used to illustrate the issue coming from England’s draw with Uruguay in March.

Ben White touched home to put England ahead from a Cole Palmer free-kick but only after Adam Wharton barged defender Jose Maria Gimenez.

Fifa want such a situation to result in the goal being ruled out in the USA this summer.

The development comes just 24 hours after the head of Fifa’s World Cup Technical Study Group warned he expected referees to take a stronger stand.

Former Switzerland goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler said: “We have seen this, especially in the Premier League with Arsenal.

“This is a trend, yes, of course, but I’m sure for our World Cup, we have the best referees there and those referees will be a key part of these situations.

“We know it’s difficult for the referees because you have these  little fouls on the goalkeeper and the officials have to look between so many people around them.

“It’s not easy to see this, but I’m very, very sure we have the best referees anyway, and we will deal with this in a very good way. It’s clear we need to be aware from the beginning.”

Zuberbuhler appears to have anticipated the planned hardline approach being worked on at Fifa’s Zurich headquarters ahead of the tournament.

Even so, bringing in such a new policy less than 30 days before the World Cup kicks off in Mexico on June 11 would be a major move likely to cause widespread discussion and controversy.

SunSport