VAR intensifies handball controversy: Calls for a review of penalty enforcement – footboom1.com
The latest Champions League match saw a serious trend of players being penalized for natural arm movements. The time has come to reconsider the definition of handball.
I was going to start this column with a personal anecdote, but my editor reminded me that I had already shared it two weeks ago—how embarrassing! There’s a sense of irony in criticizing something over and over again. Maybe we should shift our focus to Cristiano Ronaldo’s pressing stats.
Lately, my anger towards sports has waned. The constant drama within football is draining the mind and making us wary of declaring ‘the game is over’. This word shouldn’t be used too often among hardcore fans.
Still, sometimes the quirky side of sports moves me to tears. Whether it’s a thrilling final-day survival, an FA Cup victory at St James’ Park or a replay of Stuart Pearce’s iconic penalty at Euro 96, these moments are poignant.
However, as time went on, defeat became easier to accept, and the feeling of unfairness caused by the referee’s decision turned from anger to mere inconvenience. Spending your energy on sports seems like a waste of energy against the harsh realities of life—if you feel that way, you’re misdirecting your anger.
However, this calm perspective is shattered when we see yet another questionable handball penalty. I wonder if we should issue a penalty today for Luis Suarez’s infamous handball against Ghana!
See what happened in Lisbon on Tuesday. Bernardo Silva’s shot hit Ousmane Diomand in the arm at close range. Sadly, the ball hit his leg and it was likely a reflex incident. Even when I played it in slow motion, I couldn’t tell how quickly this happened—a fraction of a second in reaction time. Of note, the ball would have gone over the net anyway, but the referee still checked with VAR. The result is a penalty.
The next night at San Siro, Mehdi Taremi’s free kick hit Mikel Merino in the arm — this time a penalty was awarded without VAR intervention. We have entered a confusing phase in football culture where, despite the strangeness of these decisions, many fans accept them as they are.
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In both cases, the players’ arms were extended — a common phenomenon when players instinctively react to move their arms. You don’t have to be an experienced player to realize that football is all about movement. Handball penalty enforcement is in jeopardy. There are concerns that players will be penalized for arm movements that are slightly away from the body when blocking the ball, or for instinctive movements when jumping for leverage.
VAR has exacerbated this crisis. Prior to implementation, these gray area decisions did not result in penalties. Because live football doesn’t lend itself to detailed video analysis. Handball penalties are now being issued consistently in top-level football, and chaos is spreading to the lower leagues through the same mechanism.
The appeal of football is that goals are rare. It is a blessing and not an everyday occurrence. It’s important that we don’t look for more goals, but instead enjoy the artistry of breaking through tough defenses. Penalties, on the other hand, have an 80-85% success rate — a statistical blessing that shouldn’t be given away easily, especially in questionable handball situations. With more penalties comes less excitement around penalty kicks, which comes with anticipation and drama.
Since VAR was introduced in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season, the average number of penalties awarded has soared to 104.6. This compares unfavorably with the 92.6 penalties over the past five seasons, and is significantly higher than the average of 62 in the Premier League’s first decade. Handball decisions are stricter in the Champions League, fueling an atmosphere of discontent among supporters.
So, what will happen in the future? As my colleague Philippe Auclair aptly pointed out on Twitter, it may be past time to re-evaluate how handball violations are determined. Treat all handball violations in the penalty area the same: intentional violations should be penalized, unintentional ones should be awarded an indirect free kick. This is an attempt to align punishments more closely with the severity of the offense — which could be a win for supporters and players alike.
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There’s a lot of debate about what is “deliberate” and whether an unintentional handball near the goal line results in a penalty. However, this new approach would be a notable upgrade to the current system.
Changes are met with fierce opposition in football, but testing the new laws in less important matches like the Community Shield and EFL Trophy could allow for a smoother transition. Without reform, I may soon be shouting into the microphone, “The game is over.”