A Football Association disciplinary panel has declared that hair pulling "ought not to be tolerated" in football, rejecting Manchester United's appeal against a three-match ban for defender Lisandro Martinez.
The independent regulatory commission upheld the red card and suspension for violent conduct after Martinez pulled the hair of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin during a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford. Referee Paul Tierney issued the straight red following a VAR review.
In a written report, the panel acknowledged that other forms of violent conduct "carry a much higher risk of harm to an opponent," but stressed: "In the wider interests of football, 'hair pulling' ought not to be tolerated and should be discouraged through consistent punishment."
United manager Michael Carrick had called the decision "one of the worst" he has seen. He argued Martinez was "off balance and grappling" and that the action was "not a pull, not a tug, not aggressive."
However, the panel wrote that Calvert-Lewin "had reacted in a manner that suggested that he had felt a certain amount of force exerted upon his hair/scalp." Calvert-Lewin confirmed after the game that he felt his hair pulled.
The commission concluded that the referee did not make an "obvious error" in dismissing Martinez. They also noted that punishments should only be deemed excessive in "truly exceptional" cases, which this was not.
Martinez, 28, has already missed the away win against Chelsea and will also sit out home games against Brentford on 27 April and Liverpool on 3 May. He is eligible to return on 9 May against Sunderland.