{"id":135477,"date":"2023-12-29T10:09:44","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T10:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/12\/29\/why-man-city-were-given-a-penalty-for-handball-against-everton\/"},"modified":"2023-12-29T10:09:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T10:09:44","slug":"why-man-city-were-given-a-penalty-for-handball-against-everton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/12\/29\/why-man-city-were-given-a-penalty-for-handball-against-everton\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Man City were given a penalty for handball against Everton \u2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Earlier this year, Aleksander Ceferin, president of European football\u2019s governing body UEFA, admitted: \u201cNobody in the world understands when there\u2019s handball or not.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everton manager Sean Dyche certainly couldn\u2019t wrap his head around the decision to award Manchester City a second-half spot kick on Wednesday night. \u201cThe penalty, I have no clue,\u201d Dyche shrugged after his side fell to a\u00a03-1 loss\u00a0despite taking the lead against the newly crowned world champions. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dyche revealed that the\u00a0Premier League\u2018s managers agreed with Ceferin\u2019s damning appraisal of the handball law. \u201cWe had a Zoom call a couple of months ago,\u201d the Everton boss growled, \u201call of the managers said it is a farce and we don\u2019t know why they are giving penalties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at how the referee came to this particular decision at Goodison Park.<\/p>\n

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Why were Man City given a penalty for handball against Everton?<\/h2>\n
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Penalty or no penalty?#PLonPrime<\/a> #EVEMCI<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/3ctxYEdZFW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 27, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nathan Ake, forward for a City set piece, pivoted to unleash a shot from within the six-yard box shortly after the hour mark. As is customary in any Dyche team, multiple Everton players hauled their bodies in front of the ball. Amadou Onana was first on the scene but blocked Ake\u2019s effort with his right arm.<\/p>\n

Dyche\u2019s argument against the decision revolved around intent. \u201cIs that deliberate? Of course not,\u201d Dyche asked and answered. \u201cThese players hit [the ball] so fast and so hard, I don\u2019t know where they are meant to put their arms when slinging yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Law 12 in the FA handbook states that a handball offence has been committed \u201cif a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand\/arm, for example moving the hand\/arm towards the ball\u201d. There\u2019s little doubt that Onana did not intend to beat away Ake\u2019s effort with his arm. As Dyche sniped: \u201cIf he deliberately did that, he must be some keeper because his reactions were cat-like. What a save.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the regulations go on to outline that intent is not the defining factor. A player is still guilty of a handball if they \u201ctouch the ball with their hand\/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger\u201d. Whether deliberate or not, the lawmakers warn: \u201cThe player takes a risk of their hand\/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Onana\u2019s arm was above his head when it was struck by the ball, clearly increasing the surface area used to block Ake\u2019s attempt. The referee has to take into consideration whether Onana\u2019s positioning was \u201ca consequence of, or justifiable by, the player\u2019s body movement for that specific situation\u201d. VAR saw no clear and obvious evidence to rule that Onana had to have his arm raised and so sanctioned the penalty which Julian Alvarez converted.<\/p>\n

Originally, the on-pitch official John Brooks waved play-on before a word in the ear from his assistant referee prompted the spot kick. Dyche wasn\u2019t happy about this aspect of the decision either. \u201cThe linesman was 50 yards away and gives it,\u201d Dyche exaggerated, \u201cI don\u2019t know what that is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n