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UEFA has held talks about following the Premier League’s less strict interpretation of the handball law in a bid to reduce the award of heavy penalties such as those that denied Newcastle victory over Paris Saint Germain.
There have been almost four times as many penalties per match in the Champions League as in the Premier League since the start of last season, leading UEFA’s refereeing committee to consider changing their referee guidelines from next season.
UEFA attributed the wrongful award of Kylian Mbappé’s stoppage time penalty at the Parc des Princes to an error by VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski, who was subsequently withdrawn from VAR duties during the Champions League match between Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg Wednesday evening. were already exploring ways to reduce penalty disparity.
While the rules of the game are determined by the International FA Board [IFAB] its implementation allows for a degree of interpretation, with UEFA insisting on a strict approach to the handball law.
Premier League referees have been instructed to take into account several mitigating factors when assessing handballs, such as the proximity of the player’s arm to his body and whether the arm is in a natural position.
UEFA is in talks to introduce more lenient handball rules after Newcastle became the latest team to outrage over harsh penalties. In the photo: Tino Livramento is punished against PSG
Man United were furious this month when Harry Maguire was harshly condemned for his actions in this area
Referee Szymon Marciniak was only shown one angle of the incident at PSG vs Newcastle
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Numerous refereeing sources have told Mail Sport that Tino Livramento would never have been punished for handball in the Premier League.
UEFA came to a similar conclusion after the match, sanctioning Kwiatkowski, who was blamed for showing referee Szymon Marciniak only one angle of the incident – from the side and in slow motion – on his monitor.
As referee, Marciniak had the final say and was criticized for not asking for alternative angles, but because he would not referee a Champions League match last night, he escaped punishment.
The penalty award also appeared to contradict guidance given to referees last year by the UEFA Football Board, which stated: ‘UEFA should clarify that a handball infringement should not be committed against a player if the ball previously came from his own body is deflected and, in particular, if the ball does not go towards the goal.’
The referees’ committee, chaired by former Italian official Roberto Rosetti, will discuss in the coming months whether stricter clarification is needed before submitting their decision to the UEFA Football Council in April.
UEFA declined to comment.