Manchester United advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday after dramatic 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain with VAR-inspired winning penalties.
Diogo Dalot’s shot struck PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe, who had jumped and turned his back make himself bigger.
Referee Damir Skomina knew the ball had come off Kimpembe and so pointed for the corner, but VAR instructed the official to take a second look at his pitchside monitor.
After what seemed like an interminable delay the spot kick was awarded and Marcus Rashford duly sent United through.
Many will feel there was no deliberate act on Kimpembe’s part, but this decision is consistent with handball penalties awarded at the 2018 World Cup. If the arm wasn’t tucked away, VAR would instigate a review for handball; every one resulted in a penalty.
Was this a clear and obvious error? Skomina, though he needed many reviews, came to that opinion. Meanwhile, ex-Premier League referees appear to be split on the Kimpembe decision: Peter Walton said it was a definite penalty and Mark Halsey insisted VAR should never have got involved.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) publishes new definitions for handball on Friday, though so far we are led to believe this will only cover instances where an attacking player is involved. As such, we may still be left with an ambiguous law for defenders.