Clampdown! Referees to target grappling cheats following Sportsmail's Hands Off In The Box campaign

Refs to target penalty area wrestling following Sportsmail campaign

Professional Game Match Officials Limited have discussed the issue

Premier League bosses privately agree this problem must be dealt with

Gary Cahill has backed Sportsmail's Hands Off In The Box campaign

Chelsea centre-back Cahill feels grabbing hold of an opponent can be risky

Referees are ready to clampdown on the dark arts highlighted in Sportsmail’s ‘Hands Off In The Box’ campaign.

After another weekend blighted by grappling in the penalty area, this newspaper has called for tough action on wrestling, grabbing and shirt pulling.

Premier League bosses privately agree that this escalating problem needs to be tackled. Sportsmail has been told the issue will be discussed with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the body representing the country’s referees.

The clampdown is likely to take the same course as the approach to diving and two-footed challenges, with senior referees and their bosses first discussing how best to deal with the problem. 

Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic wrestles with Chris Smalling while on the right, John Terry grapples Marcos Rojo

Referees are ready to clampdown on the dark arts highlighted in Sportsmail’s ‘Hands Off In The Box’ campaign

Chelsea defenders Terry and Ivanovic go to ground after they were held in the box at Old Trafford

Stoke City's assistant Mark Bowen had said Ryan Shawcross would be taken off man marking duties

Shawcross (right) conceded a penalty against Swansea after grappling with Wilfried Bony (centre right)

They are then likely to inform managers and players how they plan to interpret the rules.

Sportsmail highlighted the issue after recent inconsistency towards blatant foul play at corners and free-kicks.

Phil Dowd’s failure to penalise Manchester United players for challenges against Chelsea came a week after Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross was punished with a penalty against Swansea for a similar offence.

‘Because it’s not a change of law this is something the PGMOL can do almost immediately,’ explained former referee Graham Poll. ‘It’s simply a change of emphasis. 

Stoke defender Shawcross (right) tussles with Southampton forward Graziano Pelle (centre)

Gary Cahill takes a tumble during Chelsea's 2-1 Capital One Cup win against Shrewsbury on Tuesday night

Cahill uses his body to get the better of Shrewsbury striker James Collins at Greenhous Meadow

‘It’s just a case of establishing some consistency with all 16 of them. Do they agree it’s a yellow card, or a penalty or so on?

‘Once that is established they would contact the clubs and inform them that the players will be punished accordingly in future. When it’s as obvious as this you have to take action.’

Chelsea’s Gary Cahill has become the first defender to back our campaign. He said: ‘There’s a difference between touching the player, getting your arm across, and grabbing hold of somebody. The Ryan Shawcross one got punished recently so maybe it’s one the referees are looking at.