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2026/27 UEFA Champions League League Phase Matchday 2 Atlético de Madrid vs Manchester United

[Handball] A goal disallowed after an on-field review of arm contact in the attacking phase

An original analysis of real match footage.

Final Decision

VAR / OFR

Handball

Close call

Atlético de Madrid attacked down the right and scored after working the ball across the goalmouth. Following VAR intervention and an on-field review (OFR), the referee judged that Atlético's No. 14 had committed a handball offence. The goal was disallowed and play restarted with a direct free kick to Manchester United.

Referee Review

Why was this decision made?

See the key points from a referee’s perspective

Show explanation

How the footage and Laws apply

The question is whether the ball striking the attacker's arm during the move that led to the goal was a handball offence. The footage shows the ball hitting Atlético's No. 14 on the right arm after it bounced up in the penalty area. Not every touch on the hand or arm is an offence. The position of the arm in relation to the player's movement, and whether it made the body unnaturally bigger, matter. Here the right arm was raised away from the body, so the referee's handball decision appears justified. Although some time passed before the goal, the incident was reviewed as part of the attacking phase of play that led to the goal, and play was brought back to the offence. (A more technical note follows.) The footage also shows the ball striking a Manchester United player's arm immediately after Atlético's No. 14. Had the order of the contacts been reversed, the decision would have been more complicated. The Atlético contact would still need to be checked for a handball offence; if it was an offence, the goal would be disallowed. The United contact would also need to be reviewed. If that too was judged a handball offence, the outcome could have been a disallowed goal and a penalty kick. The order of the contacts was therefore significant.

Relevant Laws

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct (Handling the ball) / Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol

Official references

Check the wording of the Laws

The links above lead to official IFAB and JFA resources. The application of the Laws to this incident is the author’s analysis and is not an official view of IFAB, JFA or the competition organiser.

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