Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson reports that refereeing of corner kicks at the World Cup has been noticeably stricter than in the Premier League, potentially signalling an end to the physical "chaos" that marked recent top-flight seasons. The shift matters because tactics such as blocking and holding around the goalkeeper, used to great effect by Arsenal as they won the Premier League with a record 19 goals from corners, are now being clamped down on by Fifa officials, with several goals disallowed by VAR at the tournament.

Fifa's head of referees Pierluigi Collina instructed coaches that blocking and holding would be targeted and told officials to be strict, effectively creating an exclusion zone around goalkeepers in the six-yard box. Germany and Spain both had goals ruled out for blocking the keeper, decisions pundits noted would not be given in England. Referees are prepared at an intensive camp in Miami where semi-professional players mimic each team's set-piece routines. Goals from corners have fallen to 0.34 per match at the World Cup, down from the Premier League's 0.49, though the Premier League has indicated it will not adopt the same hard-line approach next season.