sports
January 26, 2026
Mature decision to deny Manchester City a penalty for handball sets example for referees
Farai Hallam trusted his own judgment on Yerson Mosquera incident despite a VAR review and, in doing so, showed the way forward
TL;DR
- Handball remains a highly discussed topic in football due to law changes and differing interpretations.
- The article analyzes handball incidents from matches involving Manchester United vs. Arsenal, Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea, and Manchester City vs. Wolves.
- The author argues that Harry Maguire's arm position in the match against Arsenal was not an unnatural expansion of his body, and therefore not a handball offense.
- A penalty awarded to Chelsea for handball against Crystal Palace is discussed, where a player received a yellow card for accidental handball denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
- The author agrees with referee Farai Hallam's decision to not penalize a Wolves defender for handball, despite VAR recommendation.
- The Premier League's approach to handball is described as mature and high-threshold, unlike stricter, more literal interpretations in UEFA competitions.
- The author expresses a preference for clear-cut handball offenses rather than marginal calls.
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