'What is a foul? What is a contact?' - Nuno calls for clarity

"What the referee has now allowed, what's happening in the set-piece situation is, I'll say, almost crazy. I think they should review it. I can see that many of them are fouls - the contacts, the holding, the grabbing, the blocks. Many things are happening. Some of them are legal, some of them are OK, but most of them are contacts that go much further than what is allowed in football."

"I think they should review it. I can see that many of them are fouls - the contacts, the holding, the grabbing, the blocks. Many things are happening. Some of them are legal, some of them are OK, but most of them are contacts that go much further than what is allowed in football. It's my personal consideration, and I already had the chance to speak with Howard Webb about this."

"Some of the ways teams are blocking, there's no real rule. Sometimes the referee whistles and it's a foul, sometimes it isn't a foul or they don't whistle. Those comments were echoed by Nuno, who said levels of contact now allowed on goalkeepers made their jobs very, very difficult as attackers crowd them in an effort to block their movement."

Multiple Premier League managers have raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement of fouls during set-pieces. Nuno Espirito Santo describes current grappling and blocking as "almost crazy" and calls for PGMOL officials to visit clubs and clarify what constitutes legal contact. He has discussed the issue with Howard Webb, noting that many contacts exceed acceptable limits. Liverpool's Arne Slot previously stated set-piece tactics diminish match quality, while Everton's David Moyes and Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler criticized Arsenal's aggressive set-piece approach. Managers highlight inconsistent whistling by referees and excessive contact on goalkeepers, making their positions extremely difficult during corners and free-kicks.

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