Gary Lineker has hit out at the “completely absurd” change to football’s handball law which saw Portugal awarded a penalty against Uruguay in the World Cup.
Bruno Fernandes netted twice as Portugal ran out two-goal victors over the South American side on Monday evening, the second of which came from a controversial spot kick awarded in injury time at the end of the match.
The penalty was signalled after Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez handled the ball in the area to prevent the ball going towards his side’s goal. However, the Atletico Madrid defender’s hand was being used to break his fall from an unsuccessful tackle.
The handball law in football previously included the definition that it would not be an infringement should the handball be a result of a player attempting to prevent himself from falling. However, that has now been removed and it is now at the discretion of the referee.
Lineker quote-tweeted writer, journalist and DJ Danny Baker, who wrote: “That's handball now is it? Football is going through an absolutely absurd, drunken period from which we can only hope it someday sobers up. None of this makes sense except to a cabal of self-important bureaucratic shameless fools.”
The BBC ’s main football presenter for the World Cup, Lineker added to the initial tweet that: “The handball laws are completely absurd now.”
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Lineker’s and Baker’s dismay of the rule change was echoed by ITV ’s coverage of the match. Co-commentator Ally McCoist said of Gimenez’s handball: “He’s got absolutely no idea that it’s going to hit his hand there. He’s not trying to gain an advantage, he’s not seeking to gain an advantage, it is a completely and utterly accidental handball. Be interesting what Peter (Walton) says.”
Former official Walton, a referee analyst for ITV’s World Cup coverage, explained of the incident: “He’s unfortunate there to have that penalty kick go against him. You can clearly see he’s falling with his arm behind his back and the ball has struck his arm.
“The referee there, in a subjective view, has decided that the ball striking the arm is a deliberate act. Make your own mind up, but in my opinion I think it’s very harsh. The law did say that if you were putting your arm to prevent yourself from falling, so breaking your fall, then it couldn’t be a deliberate act.
“But that was removed from the law a year or so ago, so really it’s just down to a subjective call form the referee. It’s clearly hit his arm, it’s stopped the progress of the ball, and that’s what the VAR has advised the referee.”
