With more teams looking to play short goal kicks, we’re seeing a rising occurrence in football. Bizarre handball penalties.
Outfield players are taking goal kicks more often, passing the ball to the goalkeeper to then can go long or find another teammate short. But that’s where the confusion has come in.
Sometimes, after receiving the ball from their goalkeeper, a defender will use their hands to reposition it before taking — in their mind — the goal kick. But there have been occasions where the goalkeeper is either deemed to have restarted play with the initial pass, or fans feel they have.
Which puts the referee in a tough position. Do they go by the letter of the law and award a penalty for handball? Or do they ignore it and let play restart “officially” from the goalkeeper? To combat this, some teams may sure their goalkeeper rolls the ball to the defender taking the goal kick. But sometimes it slips through.
Arsenal Women were the latest to suffer this bizarre penalty, with Leah Williamson penalised for handling the ball. It was a costly error, with Paris FC scoring the penalty to rescue the 2-2 draw in the Women’s Champions League having been 2-0 down.
But does Williamson have reason to feel hard done by? There have been mixed results in the previous famous incidents.
Gabriel vs Bayern Munich
- Competition: Champions League
- Decision: No penalty
The first time this sort of decision was really in the spotlight came in the 2023/24 Champions League quarter-finals. Arsenal were trailing Bayern Munich 2-1 when David Raya was signalled to take a goal kick. The Spaniard passed the ball to Gabriel, who then picked it up to take the goal kick. Some Bayern players protested, as referee Glenn Nyberg had blown the whistle before Raya had passed to Gabriel. But nothing was given.
Then-Bayern boss Tuchel Tuchel blasted the decision, saying: “I think the referee did not have the courage to give a deserved penalty today in a bit of a crazy and awkward situation.
“He admitted on the pitch that he saw the situation and that quarter-final is not enough for him to give a penalty, for a kid’s mistake. He admitted he saw the mistake the player made.
“It was a goal kick, the goalkeeper passed to a central defender and one touched the ball with the hand because he thought it was not in game but it was in game and the referee admitted it was in game and was handball. Very frustrating.”
Tyrone Mings vs Club Brugge
- Competition: Champions League
- Decision: Penalty
The next big incident also came in the Champions League. But this time there was a different outcome. Aston Villa were facing Club Brugge in Belgium and looking to remain unbeaten in the Champions League. The game was level in the 50th minute when Club Brugge were suddenly awarded a penalty. There was some confusion around it, as Emiliano Martinez had the ball when referee Tobias Stieler blew the whistle and awarded a penalty.
Tyrone Mings was the man penalised for handball, picking the ball up after receiving it from Martinez. The Englishman had then given it back to Martinez, but the goal kick was deemed to have been taken with the initial pass. Hans Vanaken scored the penalty, the only goal of the game, to make matters worse for Villa.
Aston Villa’s players seemed to accept the mistake, though that didn’t soften the blow.
“It is part of football. Our first loss in the Champions League and we have to move on, we can’t be too down about it,” Ezri Konsa said after the game.
“I didn’t see it, I just saw the players running to the referee saying handball. It kills the game. If it is a handball, a deliberate one, why not give give him a second yellow? It is a mistake but we have to learn from it.”
Trevoh Chalobah vs Burnley
- Competition: Premier League
- Decision: No penalty
A little over two weeks after the Mings incident, there was another case of a bizarre handball. But this one wasn’t given. It came in the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor with the game goalless midway through the first half. Robert Sanchez appeared to have taken a goal kick, passing to the ball to Trevoh Chalobah. But Chalobah then moved the ball in the six-yard box with his hands, setting up to take the kick himself.
Referee Peter Bankes was quick to act, telling Burnley striker Zian Flemming to get out of the box as he closed Chalobah down. Flemming also appealed for the penalty for handball, but nothing was given.
Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott said at the time: “If a penalty is given, I don’t think anyone is asking any questions. What has saved Chelsea here, is that Sanchez doesn’t put his hand on the ball in the six-yard box, which would indicate that it’s a fresh restart.
“The referee then can allow Chalobah to make that decision. But if Chalobah had allowed that ball to run across his body and he plays it straight to Marc Cucurella, the referee would have allowed play to go on. Chelsea have slightly got away with one.”
Marc Pubill vs Barcelon
- Competition: Champions League
- Decision: No penalty
Champions League referees just cannot make up their mind. Barcelona wanted a penalty in the first leg of quarter-final against Atletico Madrid in 2025/26, a game they eventually lost 2-0. Shortly after half-time, Marc Pubill received the ball from goalkeeper Juan Musso inside his own six-yard box. As soon as the pass was made, Pubill bent down ready the stop the ball with his hands. He did, before playing a pass back to Musso.
Barcelona’s players appealed to referee Istvan Kovacs but nothing was given. Again, it was another case of the benefit of doubt being given to the defensive team, which annoyed Hansi Flick.
“I think they deserved the red card, because the goalkeeper plays the ball,” he said.
“It’s clear play, and he stopped the ball with his hand. It would be a double yellow, a red card and a penalty. We all make mistakes. We’ve lost 2-0, but we’ve had very good opportunities.
“I’m not sure if Cubarsi touches him enough for a red card. Their goalkeeper passed it to the centre-back, who touches the ball with his hand and the VAR didn’t look at it. What’s the point of having VAR?”
Leah Williamson vs Paris FC
- Competition: Women’s Champions League
- Decision: Penalty
A fifth incident, and a second one involving Arsenal. But this time it ended in a penalty, against Arsenal Women in the Champions League. The Gunners were already nervy having seen their two-goal lead cut to one, so the last thing they needed was this. Goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez had passed the ball to Leah Williamson, who then moved it with her hand back onto the line.
Only one Paris FC player seemed to strongly appeal for the handball, and it was neither of the two closing Williamson down. They looked more annoyed at having to get out of the box again. But, after a few moments’ deliberation, referee Iuliana Demetrscu pointed to the spot for handball. Arsenal tried to claim that the ball was moving, and thus Misa hadn’t restarted play, but it was checked and cleared by VAR. Maeline Mendy scored the spot-kick, securing the draw.
Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said: “I would have been fuming and I would have been embarrassed if they gave that. This is not what they’re trying to do. It’s just beyond frustrating that that’s how they’ve tied the game.
“Leah’s obviously going [to do that] because she’s going to take the goal kick. Not because she’s worried about the press or trying to change it – or panicking in any situation. Leah Williamson doesn’t panic in those moments, she knows what she’s doing. The goalkeeper knows what she’s doing as well.
“The referee has miscalled it.”