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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Liam Prenderville

Gary Lineker has 'reliable' tip that handball rule will be changed after FA Cup final

Gary Lineker has suggested he has it on good authority that the handball rule will be changed for next season.

The controversial law was again a key talking point during the FA Cup final after Jack Grealish was judged to have handled the ball inside his own area.

United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka headed the ball towards Grealish's fingers from close range and after VAR had advised referee Paul Tierney to check the monitors, the penalty was given.

Bruno Fernandes duly dispatched to cancel out Ilkay Gundogan's opener much to the dismay of City winger Grealish and his boss Pep Guardiola on the touchline.

Lineker was joined in the BBC studios at Wembley by Alan Shearer, Peter Schmeichel and Micah Richards, who all suggested they didn't think it was a penalty.

Shearer led the criticism, stating: "It is terrible. They talk about natural and unnatural and proximity but that is a natural position. What on earth is he meant to do?"

Ex-England striker Lineker then responded: "I have it on very reliable information that law will be simplified. They will almost go back to how it was, common sense.

"I think it is ludicrous to say your hand is an unnatural position because unless it is detached from your body, it has to be fairly natural."

The current FA ruling states a penalty will be awarded if a player touches the ball with their hand or arm "where their body has been made unnaturally bigger".

It adds: "A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation."

The BBC pundits felt the award was harsh (BBC)

Ilkay Gundogan had fired City into the lead after just 13 seconds at Wembley with a stunning volley, the fastest FA Cup final goal ever.

Fernandes penalty levelled the scores at the break but the City skipper was at it again as his effort from the edge of the box deceived David de Gea.

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