17 Aug 2019 20:02:28
City’s been hard done by there. Course it’s great if they drop points, and by the letter of the law it’s not a goal.

Personally hate the way it’s one rule in the box and another elsewhere. The rule states if it hits an attacking hand no matter how accidental, goals are not awarded so rightly disallowed. But how can it be if it accidentally hit a defenders arm it’s not a foul.

Obviously intent is hard to tell, but the unnatural position, like sissoko in the final is the best one for me. If it strikes your arm when they are tucked in, or blasted at close range fine, but I they are all over the place pen. That, or just any touch on the arm is a foul, full stop. With VAR that is then black and white.

1.) 18 Aug 2019
18 Aug 2019 00:45:22
If it hits your arm hand ball no matter what ends all the moaning and it’s fair.

2.) 18 Aug 2019
18 Aug 2019 02:19:42
Yeah it seems a harsh ruling to be fair if it goes against you. At the same time if that ball doesn't hit his arm then it doesn't fall to Jesus' feet and that goalscoring scenario doesn't occur. It will take some getting used to as does most new rules but I do see a touch of sense in it.

3.) 18 Aug 2019
18 Aug 2019 05:33:31
Why is it harsh? There are numerous offences inside the box that would be punished differently if they occured outside the box. It prevents intentional fouling during a goal-scoring opportunity.

4.) 18 Aug 2019
18 Aug 2019 11:30:16
Spot on, Like A Virgil. OP, why should City feel hard done by? The issue here is not VAR. It is with the dumb handball rule. That rule seems to have been set up this way to create the utter mayhem it is creating now cos IMO, there has to be some kind of controversy to help viewership numbers. That's the only reason I can think of cos it makes NO sense at all.

Also, I feel nothing for City nor their forever crying manager and fans (all 50 of them) . Why? Simple. It is due to this same team, fans and manager, who never stopped bleating on and on about how the absence of VAR robbed them of a CL vs LFC. The whined about that and VAR was put in for the CL last season and got dumped out of the CL by Spurs last season via VAR, and they still whined and bitched. Then after that VAR was put in place in the PL and They voted for it.

Now, they are crying that the rule in this case for VAR, was correctly applied. Now, Pep is saying action should be taken. To do what? Change the rule again to suit you? Sorry bro. Get over yourself, Pep. You don't get to write and rewrite the rules due to your erratic mood swings. If you don't like the handball rule in this instance, fight to change it and stop moaning as if the system (the very same one you wanted), did you dirty.

5.) 18 Aug 2019
18 Aug 2019 14:19:03
I don't see the new handball rule as dumb at all, i think its the easiest way to avoid grey areas and cheating in the box. Sure, penalties will be given for truely accidental handballs but, just like an accidental foul tackle, it is still an offence even if its not intended.
What the new rule does is make it a lot simpler for the ref and VAR to identify the offence (instead of the previous ball-to-hand/ hand-to-ball confusion) .
Simply put, keep your hands out the way of the ball in the penalty area.

6.) 19 Aug 2019
19 Aug 2019 02:39:16
Exactly likeAvirgil. It's not controversial at all, it removes any debate or dispute as it's a clear straight forward law. It serves each team with equal fairness. People are getting carried away simply because it was the first case and it occurred in the 93rd minute. We all know this is now a decision which will be always called fairly and correctly with zero chance of grey area handball controversy that always was an issue.