A key moment in the intense Arsenal vs. Newcastle United match left many viewers confused: why wasn’t a penalty given when the ball clearly struck Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes on the arm? The answer lies in the nuanced, and often debated, handball law.
Contrary to popular belief, not every instance of the ball touching a player’s hand is an automatic offense. According to the IFAB laws of the game, for a handball to be penalized, the player must usually have made their body “unnaturally bigger” or have their arm/hand in a position not justified by their current movement. In this case, the referee and VAR determined that Gabriel’s arm was in a natural position as he jumped and that the ball was kicked from such close range that he couldn’t possibly have avoided it.
This “proximity” clause is a key part of the rule. While the decision is frustrating for Newcastle, it was made based on this specific interpretation. This incident perfectly illustrates why the handball rule remains one of the most controversial and difficult-to-enforce laws in football, sparking debate among pundits, players, and fans alike.
