Too Late for Motherwell, Just in Time for Celtic: UEFA Clears Up Handball Rule
The Full Scottish
Served by Brian P. Dunleavy
Everyone remembers the handball heard—but perhaps not seen—around the world. The incident occurred on May 13th, and it was definitely an unlucky night for Motherwell. Celtic and the Steelmen were tied at 2-2 with the clock winding down at Fir Park.
The Hoops’ Anthony Ralston takes a throw-in. His teammate Auston Trusty and Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson jump to contest for it in the box and the ball appears to head harmlessly out for a goal kick. Game over, correct?
Not yet. VAR summons referee John Beaton to check for a possible handball on Nicholson. It’s given. Now-former Celt Kelechi Iheanacho converts the resulting penalty kick. The Hoops live on in the title race and eventually pip Hearts for the league on the final day of the season.
Then-Hearts manager Derek McInnes called the decision “disgusting.” Nicholson denied the ball hit his hand. Both were punished by the SFA for their comments.
Not so Clear Line
Now, UEFA has made an attempt to prevent such controversies in the future—maybe. Their solution? A document released Wednesday called Clear Line designed to serve as a reference guide for match officials the covers more than 150 different scenarios, including penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. The governing body hopes the guidance will lead to greater consistency in refereeing decisions and VAR interventions across European football.
Here is what the document says about handball and VAR: A deliberate movement of the arm towards the ball warrants VAR intervention, as does an arm position that makes a defender’s body unnaturally larger.
However, in instances when a defender holds their arm close to the body or the arm is positioned naturally as a consequence of a player’s movement (such as when they leap for a ball in the air, like Nicholson) that may not constitute a handball.
The guidance also instructs match officials to consider factors such as deflections, the distance between players and whether there is clear evidence the ball actually struck an arm. It also states VAR should not intervene when there is doubt over whether an arm position was natural or unnatural (again, a la Nicholson, perhaps).
That should clear things up, right? We’ll see in May.u
