Sky Sports pundits were split over Dan Ballard’s red card as Sunderland face losing him for the run-in

Jay Bothroyd and Dermot Gallagher were split over Dan Ballard’s red card during Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Wolves.

Ballard was sent off in the first half at Molineux after referee Paul Tierney was advised to review an incident involving Tolu Arokodare on the pitchside monitor. Tierney had initially missed the clash in real time, but VAR intervened, and the Sunderland defender was dismissed after being judged to have pulled his opponent’s hair.

The decision left Sunderland to play the majority of the game with 10 men and has since sparked debate over whether the current interpretation of hair-pull incidents needs greater nuance. Speaking on Sky Sports, Bothroyd argued that not every incident should automatically be treated the same.

“Gabriel vs Man City - who didn’t get a red - that is more violent conduct than a hair pull,” Bothroyd said. “A hair pull is more personal, but from the ones we’ve seen this season, only one of them is a hair pull, which is a Michael Keane one. The action of Keane’s hand is tugging down on his hair.

“That to me is a hair pull. With the other ones - the Lisandro Martinez, that’s not a tug. When you get your hand caught in someone’s hair, that’s different. So they have to modify the term. Players have their hair loose. If your hands get caught in someone’s hair, it’s an accident - not intentional.”

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Former Premier League referee Gallagher saw it differently and said the current climate around hair-pulling made the outcome clear once VAR became involved. “This falls into the bracket of once you see it, you can’t unsee it,” Gallagher said. “In view of the current climate with hair pulling, the minute I saw the replay, I thought he was going to be sent off. No doubt whatsoever. It’s serious foul play, and that’s what they decided.”

Ballard is now expected to miss Sunderland’s final three games of the season against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea through suspension. The Black Cats could appeal the decision, but a successful challenge appears unlikely in the current climate, with similar appeals for the same offence having already been rejected this season.

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