Bad ref decisions - for and against - season 2025/26

[9LeagueTitles5FACups]

24/8/24 Home to Brighton - won 2-0 Ndaiye 23 Garner 56

Match Officials
Referee:Stuart Attwell
Video Assistant Referee:James Bell
Assistant Referee 1:Constantine Hatzidakis
Assistant Referee 2:Nicholas Hopton
Fourth Official:Tom Nield
Assistant VAR Official:Lee Betts

Hmm.

We were 2-0 up and the ref gave Brighton a penalty after judging KDH 'deliberate' handball whilst blocking a shot.

Another dubious decision in my view. Not as bad as Tarky last week but still one that seems inconsistent with other teams decisions.
Ref gave the pen immeditely on the pitch and not overturned by VAR. Could have let them back in.

'Brighton wasted another opportunity to get back into the game after 74 minutes when they were awarded a penalty when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall handled Yankuba Minteh's shot, but Jordan Pickford dived to his left to save Welbeck's spot-kick'.

We're watching these refs!

My view is that the penalty call was correct, when based on the rule that a penalty should be awarded when the ball has struck an outfield player's hand when the hand is in an unnatural position in the penalty area. Whilst Dewsbury-Hall's hand definitely was not in a natural position, he did not deliberately handle the ball and was only seeking to protect his face. Although it may seem like a harsh penalty, it was a fair call, unlike the call on Monday night against Leeds.

 

[terryefc]

My view is that the penalty call was correct, when based on the rule that a penalty should be awarded when the ball has struck an outfield player's hand when the hand is in an unnatural position in the penalty area. Whilst Dewsbury-Hall's hand definitely was not in a natural position, he did not deliberately handle the ball and was only seeking to protect his face. Although it may seem like a harsh penalty, it was a fair call, unlike the call on Monday night against Leeds.

Fair enough. I think the proximity was also a factor - very close. It's all quite subjective though and the purpose of this thread is to see if these decisions do in fact balance out over the season. I didn't include the possible handball that we 'may' have got a penno for in their area. I don't think it was - but again - undeniable that it hit the Brighton lads arm from a cross.

 

[den]

My view is that the penalty call was correct, when based on the rule that a penalty should be awarded when the ball has struck an outfield player's hand when the hand is in an unnatural position in the penalty area. Whilst Dewsbury-Hall's hand definitely was not in a natural position, he did not deliberately handle the ball and was only seeking to protect his face. Although it may seem like a harsh penalty, it was a fair call, unlike the call on Monday night against Leeds.

This is a reasonable argument for the de facto handball law but not for the law as written or the claims made about how officials have been told to interpret it. We're supposed to see fewer penalties awarded for accidental handballs, and it's supposed to be awarded either when a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand or arm either by moving it toward the ball or away from their body (so-called, "making himself bigger").

By any reasonable interpretation of the IFAB rules and statements about how officials have been instructed to implement them, this shouldn't have been a handball. He moved his hand toward himself and made himself smaller, and given the speed and angle of the strike, it's not humanly possible to have touched it deliberately.

 

[Swagger]

I thought handball required two elements to constitute handball.

One is proximity. If it's too close then it will not be given.

Second is arm is in unnatural position. If by the side of body then again it's not a penalty.

The Tarkowski penalty lacked the second element as arm down by side and the Dewsbury-Hall penalty lacked the first element as too close yet both were given

Further, the directive is to not give harsh handball decisions...

Maybe I'm wrong or the rule has been changed (again).

 

[Dario Terracotta]

These things even themselves out don’t they?

 

[lieneverton]

My issue, as per, isn't even so much with the decisions themselves, its with the wild inconsistency. Even in 2nd half there was one for Minteh - hand not outstretched but hit it - and barely a peep. I personally don't like ones like that being given but zero consistency. You will see loads like the ones we've had against us, not only not given this season, but barely even discussed.

 

[Shibbywiggles]

Tarkowski pen: what’s he supposed to do? Cut his arm off?

Dewsbury-Hall pen from a hammered shot/cross from two yards away: what’s he supposed to do, become a gas?

Brighton player blocking a cross with his arm from about five yards away: not a pen because actually he wasn’t wearing an Everton shirt?

Forgetting small decisions like the clear cut corner two yards out of play against Leeds that’s THREE penalty decisions we’re owed after two games… I can’t wait for it to all balance itself out over the course of the season!!!

 

[terryefc]

30/8/24 away to Wolves - Won 3-2 Beto Ndaiye KDH

Nothing controversial I could see - no need for VAR dodginess to either side.
We had a goal disallowed for offside - correctly - and there were mutterings of a possible penalty to them but I didn't see anything.

Match Officials​

Referee:Michael Oliver
Video Assistant Referee:Craig Pawson
Assistant Referee 1:Stuart Burt
Assistant Referee 2:Lee Betts
Fourth Official:Adam Herczeg
Assistant VAR Official:Nicholas Hopton

 

[terryefc]

13/9/25 Everton 0 Aston Villa 0

Missed our match yesterday - and only saw highlights so wasn't able to judge the refs performance.
Sounds like the ref had a stinker



This was a report from the echo...

What happened at full-time spoke volumes about one man as Everton transfer priority confirmed​

Everton analysis from Connor O'Neill after the 0-0 Premier League draw with Aston Villa​

Connor O'Neill
05:00, 14 Sep 2025

Referee Simon Hooper shows a yellow card to Jack Grealish during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
It has been a tradition for some time now. But whenever the Premier League anthem plays before Everton home games, it is greeted by boos from Blues supporters.

That was no different here. Everton supporters always find time to make their feelings known on the Premier League. They have done so since the club was docked 10 points, reduced to six on appeal, for breaching financial rules back in November 2023.

But the boos didn’t end there. And by the end they were reserved for one man. That man being referee Simon Hooper.


This was not one of his better games. In fact, it could be argued it was one of his worst.

And to be clear, the reason Everton didn’t pick up all three points here was because they didn’t take their chances.

The Blues more than had enough opportunities to make it four wins in a row in all competitions. But just because Beto couldn’t find a way past Emiliano Martinez does not mean that the performance of Hooper should not be highlighted.


At one point in the game it felt like every 50/50 went the way of Unai Emery’s side. But by the end, it felt like every tackle was a foul.

Somehow Everton managed to commit 17 fouls during the 90 minutes, two more than Villa.

David Moyes criticised refereeing standards across the opening round of Premier League fixtures after his side lost to newly-promoted Leeds United after a controversial penalty.

Moyes made his feelings known to Chris Kavanagh that night after marching onto the Elland Road pitch at full-time.

He didn’t repeat that here, but the boos reserved for Hooper and his team of match officials as they made their way off the pitch spoke volumes.

Match Officials​

Referee:Simon Hooper
Video Assistant Referee:Alex Chilowicz
Assistant Referee 1:Adrian Holmes
Assistant Referee 2:Simon Long
Fourth Official:Andrew Kitchen
Assistant VAR Official:Tony Harrington

 

[Richard Alex]

Hooper’s performance was worse than pathetic.
Remember we played Arsenal a couple of years ago and their players were playing acting every time we went up for a header. He fell for it every time. Weak and rubbish
Howard Webb needs to resign pronto. They're all garbage and they’ve got worse under his watch.
Arrogance personified.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Hooper’s performance was worse than pathetic.
Remember we played Arsenal a couple of years ago and their players were playing acting every time we went up for a header. He fell for it every time. Weak and rubbish
Howard Webb needs to resign pronto. They're all garbage and they’ve got worse under his watch.
Arrogance personified.

Well, Webb himself was quite crap, so him making the overall reffing standard worse shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. He also won't be touched at all/ever anyway.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Hooper completely killed the game off second half with some mad decisions against us which, sadly, played right into Villa's hands. Sick of it. Booked Grealish for f all as well as if he was trying to make a statement or something the queg..

 

[dublinbluenose]

His performance was terrible but woree that that, he was constantly 30yards off the pace. He's clearly not physically fit enough to referee in the Premier League.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Hoopers career has been blighted by poor decisions. He’s obviously not up to the job. It’s about time EPL teams have an independent complaints process. The quality of refereeing is appalling and needs a major overhaul. Bellends like Hooper shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near top-tier games.

 

[judge]

Hooper’s performance was worse than pathetic.
Remember we played Arsenal a couple of years ago and their players were playing acting every time we went up for a header. He fell for it every time. Weak and rubbish
Howard Webb needs to resign pronto. They're all garbage and they’ve got worse under his watch.
Arrogance personified.

Howard Webb was one of the worst of the lot. It was only going to get worse under his watch.