Manchester City’s victory over Everton was marked by Rodri’s escape from a penalty after his hand touched the ball. Was referee Paul Tierney’s decision right?
Man City won 1-0 at Goodison Park, Sunday (27/2/2022) early morning WIB thanks to Phil Foden’s single goal in the 82nd minute. But Everton actually had a chance to equalize in the 85th minute, when Rodri was declared handball in the penalty box.
However, Tierney with the help of Chris Kavanagh who served as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) stated that it was not a violation, so the penalty was not awarded. Everton was furious.
If you look at the replay, the ball did hit the upper right arm of Rodri who was trying to control the ball to make a sweep. He also looks hesitant to just defend himself that he doesn’t handball.
But why did the referee still not declare it a violation? It relates to the position of the arm hit by the ball.
According to Premier League rules, as well as the Laws of the Game, a player is declared a handball if the ball hits the arm which is colored red as shown below. If it’s green, then it’s not a violation.
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Explanation of which part is declared handball and not. Photo: Premier League, Doc. BBC
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The problem is, the ball hits Rodri’s upper arm. On that part of the body there is a red (declared handball) and green (not handball) area border. This is where the referee needs to be careful and look more closely.
According to the BBC report, the decision not to award a penalty for Everton was taken because VAR considered there was no clear evidence that the ball was in the red area, despite Rodri’s arm being active.
Everton manager Frank Lampard publicly protested the decision. He gave sharp criticism to the judges after the match.
“Look at the VAR, they had two minutes to look at it and think it wasn’t a penalty when the ball hit her arm clearly, in an unnatural position. Even my 3 year old daughter would have said it was a penalty,” Lampard told Sky. Sports.
“Even if VAR isn’t sure (whether it was a penalty), then watch. It’s a real lack of skill. If not then someone needs to explain what it was,” continued Lampard.
This result makes Man City comfortable at the top of the standings with 66 points from 27 matches. Meanwhile, Everton are in 17th position with 22 points from 24 matches.
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