Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe was incandescent at the decision to award Paris Saint-Germain a last-gasp penalty that denied his team a Champions League win over the French club on Tuesday.
Alexander Isak's 25th-minute goal had given the Magpies a 25th-minute lead at the Parc des Prince but a precious three points was snatched from their grasp when Polish referee Szymon Marciniak awarded PSG a penalty deep in injury time following a VAR check for a handball by Tino Livramento.
The award appeared harsh, with Ousmane Dembele's cross striking Livramento's body before the ball bounced up on to his arm. Kylian Mbappe converted the spot-kick to earn PSG a 1-1 draw that changes the outlook for both clubs going into the final round of matches in Group F.
"In my opinion, it wasn't the right decision," insisted Howe as he spoke to reporters after the game. "It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down looks totally different to the live event.
"It hits his hand, but I don't think his hand is in an unnatural position. I feel it is a poor decision.
"It is hugely frustrating for us because at that moment you know how little time there is left in the game, but there is nothing we can do about it now."
What does the handball law say?
According to the laws of the game, when deciding a handball decision in a game, referees have three key considerations:
- Whether it is a "deliberate action" by the player - ie have they moved their arm towards the ball?;
- The proximity of the player from the ball and the speed it hits them on the arm/hand;
- If the the hand or arm is in "an unnatural position", - ie away from the body
In Newcastle's case, the referee deemed that Livramento handled the ball, even if it was not deliberate, and his arm was in an unnatural position.
Liverpool were the victims of a similar decision in the second-tier Europa League last month. Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was adjudged to have handled the ball after it rolled off his chest and on to his arm in the buildup to Jarell Quansah scoring what would have been a last-minute equaliser against Toulouse.
Following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was chalked off and Liverpool lost the game 3-2.
Would it have been given in the Premier League?
Given the number of controversial incidents already this season, it's more than possible.
But where it becomes complicated for all involved is that different competitions allow room for additional mitigation for referees to consider.
For instance, in the Premier League, allowances are made by officials for when the ball strikes another part of the body first, prior to it hitting the player's arm.
On that basis, it is possible Livramento would not have been penalised had it been a Premier League match. But again, it's by no means certain.
In April, the Uefa football board – an independent advisory group – recommended that "Uefa should clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body".
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