The Premier League is back — and so are the refereeing controversies.Fortunately, we have just the man to offer some clarity and reason amid the hysteria: Graham Scott, the former Premier League referee and VAR official, who worked at the top level of the English game for a decade.On Monday, we asked you to send in questions to pose to Graham, drawing on the weekend’s big talking points or on wider issues within the world of refereeing.Here, he provides his answers. And if you didn’t get yours into the article this time, don’t worry — Graham will be responding to subscribers’ queries regularly on Tuesdays throughout the season.Gary O: Why did Stuart Attwell not produce a second yellow card for Yoane Wissa in the Newcastle United vs Liverpool game, given that he seemed to be booking players for very minor interactions in the first half? Do referees have a responsibility to keep the game flowing, or should they always follow the letter of the law?Scott: The simple answer is that the threshold for a second yellow card is higher than for a first. That is what’s decreed by the Premier League, which reviews each incident and only wants players to be sent off if there is incontrovertible evidence that the referee had no choice.The problem this creates is that refs can be reluctant to award a second yellow. Of the 12 errors last season, nine involved the failure to dismiss a player who should have walked.In this instance, Wissa’s foul on Ryan Gravenberch would likely have led to a first yellow, as the Liverpool player was moving into space. A second caution could easily be justified by the letter of the law, because the foul prevents a promising attack. The independent panel that sits in judgement may tell Attwell he was wrong.Wissa is probably saved from a second because he tries to pull out of the challenge, and Gravenberch takes a theatrical tumble. It’s as if his primary motivation is to get Wissa sent off, and some referees take against such antics. I know because I was one of them.Patrick D: Did Caleb Yirenkyi escape a second yellow card in the 44th minute of Coventry’s match against Arsenal?Scott: Yirenki’s challenge on Christos Tzolis is clumsy, but well short of a first yellow card, let alone a second. Referee Thomas Bramall did not even see it as a foul.Michael A: Who do you think is the next up-and-coming referee to watch out for in the newly-formed Professional Referees Group?Scott: Farai Hallam has started his Premier League career well, and he certainly has the potential to fly high. Barring injury or a major setback, he will join the international list in January, which will further stretch him.He stands out from the other contenders because his player management is so much better. Hallam strikes the right balance between being approachable — he readily engages in conversation and explains his thinking — and not taking any nonsense.Farai Hallam could be a star of the future among referees (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)This is out of kilter with the other younger referees coming through, who either lack personality or have been drilled not to show it.