Crystal Palace v West Ham

[ladbroke8745]

Watching MotD this morning..

West Ham penalty, trying to understand a clear and obvious mistake when the referee is 5 yards, if that, from handball with the most clearest of angles you can have and waved it away.

Now, if he has "seen" it he should've blown and awarded "a free kick". Got VAR to confirm then it was in or out.
So why did he not give it and let VAR do his job?
This is a prime example of not wanting to do the job and letting VAR give it.

Because of his positioning he can hardly say he didn't see it or have a clear view.

I know some people have said in the past they're not instructed to let the game continue and let VAR check but this shows the opposite of that thought process.
He really should be giving this first time.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Watched it from a couple of different angles and although defender is waving his arm about in an unnatural manner, I can’t see much contact with the ball to be fair. Defender is also turning/turned away from referee slightly, so not a perfect view either. Harsh penalty in my opinion (and that coming from a Hammers fan too )

 

[GraemeS]

My initial instinct was that it hit too high up the arm, in the "would have been HB last season bust shouldn't be this season" area.

 

[ladbroke8745]

Watched it from a couple of different angles and although defender is waving his arm about in an unnatural manner, I can’t see much contact with the ball to be fair. Defender is also turning/turned away from referee slightly, so not a perfect view either. Harsh penalty in my opinion (and that coming from a Hammers fan too )

But surely if he hasn't given it, he can be telling VAR not enough for him to give. He has a very good view.
For me, his decision making for me would get questioned by management if he can't see or overrule that from his angle.

 

[RustyRef]

With the current handball law if your arm is up in the air like that and the ball hits it then it has to be handball. I'd guess that Darren England didn't see the ball hit the arm first time, so VAR have told him to go and have a look. That definitely falls under clear and obvioius error as it just had to be a penalty.

 

[Russell Jones]

With the current handball law if your arm is up in the air like that and the ball hits it then it has to be handball. I'd guess that Darren England didn't see the ball hit the arm first time, so VAR have told him to go and have a look. That definitely falls under clear and obvioius error as it just had to be a penalty.

I know you know this @RustyRef but for the newer refs (or those who haven't stayed current with this year's changes to handball), having your 'arm up in the air like that' MIGHT now be justified as a result of the jumping / running / kicking etc motion you are undertaking. Not in this case though IMO

 

[cwyeary]

For me what made this an offense was the sweeping motion of the arm towards the ball. Live I can somewhat see how the ref might have thought the ball hit the upper arm or it was naturally placed for someone that was jumping. It was the slow motion view of the "sweeping" motion that made it clearer.