Benicetoourboys
Player Valuation: £35m
Jesus wept.
Sorry shouldn't have said that I take it back, no offence meant to religious people.
Bad ref decisions - for and against - season 2025/26
- Thread starter terryefc
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Sorry shouldn't have said that I take it back, no offence meant to religious people.
Osamabindiesel
Player Valuation: £70m
They probably get a chatGPT prompt for their sports rigging explanations. It's over. Sports are cooked.
This is on var btw....not on the referee... I think overall referee had an ok game...but var has to call him to the monitor for that handball l, no excuse there...probably a west ham fan on var today
I stupidly bet on Wolves to win, ruined my ACCA.
Kevsleftpeg
Player Valuation: £35m
I don't mind that not being a handball as long as the rules are applied consistently. Which they're not
Osamabindiesel
Player Valuation: £70m
And in the commentator booth.
Not even that for me. It's the most blatant handball you can get. Literally punched the ball away from him on purpose.
chatgbt says grabbing is not allowed in football though
Under the rules set by FIFA, physically holding or grabbing an opponent is considered a foul. This falls under “holding” or “impeding,” and usually results in a free kick (or a penalty if it happens inside the box).
That said, there’s a bit of nuance:
- Light contact is normal – players can use their body to shield the ball.
- Jostling for position (like during corners) is often tolerated to a point.
- Clear grabbing (pulling shirts, wrapping arms, stopping a run) is a foul.
- If it stops a promising attack or denies a goal-scoring opportunity, it can also lead to a yellow or red card.
Kevsleftpeg
Player Valuation: £35m
I'm not sure it was on purpose but it was definitely reckless. Far more so than a ball being blasted at you and it hitting your arm
Osamabindiesel
Player Valuation: £70m
Ah yes, the classic "The handball wasn't illegal because he was making an illegal grappling motion"
chatgbt says its a pen
There are actually two separate offences in what you described:
Under the Laws of the Game from FIFA, the referee doesn’t have to choose between them—either offence is enough to award a foul. If this happens inside the penalty area, the result is a penalty kick.
In practice, referees usually see the grab first, so they’ll give the penalty for holding—even before considering the handball.
So even if the hand contact is accidental, you’ve already committed a foul by grabbing, which makes the penalty the correct decision.
There are actually two separate offences in what you described:
- Grabbing/holding from behind
That’s already a foul on its own (holding an opponent). - Handling the ball
Even if you accidentally touch the ball with your hand, it can still be penalised if your arm/hand is in an unnatural position or you gain an advantage.
Under the Laws of the Game from FIFA, the referee doesn’t have to choose between them—either offence is enough to award a foul. If this happens inside the penalty area, the result is a penalty kick.
In practice, referees usually see the grab first, so they’ll give the penalty for holding—even before considering the handball.
So even if the hand contact is accidental, you’ve already committed a foul by grabbing, which makes the penalty the correct decision.
Someone check to see if Tierno Barry has hair on his back. If so, clear pen.
Efcbradley89
Player Valuation: £6m
It's never been easier in history to referee a football match and get these decisions correct.
