The English Premier League said on Friday that pulling an opponent’s hair will ​not necessarily warrant an automatic red ‌card under changes to refereeing guidelines for next season.

The league said in a statement that a ​red card will apply where hair ​pulling is carried out with “excessive force and/or brutality”, while incidents deemed to be ​deliberate but without excessive force will be ​punished with a yellow.

The change comes after Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, Everton’s Michael Keane and Sunderland’s Dan Ballard were sent ​off for pulling an opponent’s hair ​last season.

The clarification was part of a wider set ‌of principles outlining how referees will apply the laws of the game in the upcoming season.

The Premier League said that holding will ​be more ​closely scrutinised, with referees encouraged to penalise non-footballing actions that have a material ​impact on opponents.

Referees will also ​place more emphasis on protecting goalkeepers, penalising players who initiate contact without a genuine attempt to play ​the ball if it ​impacts the keeper’s ability to challenge for it.