Referees do not go into Premier League games blind about each team’s tactics.
Officials are sent a dossier of information by PGMO. It details how each team approaches set-pieces, attacking and defensively.
It is supposed to keep referees ahead of the curve on things like grappling and blocking.
But with the Premier League’s high bar on fouls, much of the holding is allowed.
Fans get frustrated by corners being retaken, but Cann says this is because “grappling often begins before the corner is taken”.
It is not possible to give a foul when the ball is not in play.
Maybe this could change?
“My Saturday afternoons are now spent sitting next to Alan Shearer watching all the Premier League matches,” Cann said.
“Alan’s idea, which I think has some merit, is to change the Law so that once the referee actually blows his whistle to restart the game, the referee can then penalise any subsequent behaviour.
“You wouldn’t have to wait for the ball to be in play to award a penalty.”
Cann has his own idea, too.
“Attackers must start outside the goal area (six-yard box) before the corner is taken,” Cann explained.
“It would solve the issue of the crowded goal area and the goalkeeper being surrounded, blocked and impeded.”
We might be waiting a while for anything to happen, though.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) met in Wales on Saturday to thrash out the law changes for next season.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell batted away questions about grappling.
“It wasn’t something that we specifically talked about,” Maxwell said. “Whether there’s been a change in that type of behaviour during matches, those things happen over the course of a season.
“I’m not sure it’s necessarily getting worse.”
It should be remembered that we are only discussing this because players and coaches are always trying to find that extra edge to score a goal.
It might be that a law change really is needed to stop players throwing each other around as a corner is about to be taken.
Or maybe it is just a Premier League problem.
