The Real Reason England’s Penalty Against the Netherlands Shouldn’t Have Stood
The Three Lions’ European Championship semi-final win over the Netherlands was marred by controversy, with Harry Kane’s penalty sparking debate. Now, a former FIFA referee has come forward with a new reason why the spot-kick should not have been given.
On Wednesday, England reached their second successive European Championship final with a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands. But the match was far from straightforward, with a contentious penalty decision causing friction. Kane equalised from the spot after being fouled by Denzel Dumfries, but a former FIFA referee, Jonas Eriksson, believes an incident before the foul should have prevented the awarding of a penalty.
Eriksson, who officiated at the 2014 World Cup, pointed out that England winger Bukayo Saka handled the ball seconds before Kane shot. The incident, which occurred just before the penalty was awarded, was not picked up by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) or the on-field referee.
"I am surprised that they don’t go and look and overturn the penalty," Eriksson said. "According to the rulebook, it is a penalty. In reality, when you have to interpret it, I don’t think it should be a punishment. It is a clear hand [from Saka] and it means that no penalty should be awarded to Kane."
But while Eriksson’s point is valid, it’s not as simple as just accusing Saka of handling the ball. The 20-year-old’s hand was in a natural position, given the momentum of taking a shot. The ball rebounded onto his hand, which was not attempting to control or direct the ball.
The issue is further complicated by IFAB’s rules on handballs. According to the governing body, a handball should be penalised if the position of the hand makes the "body unnaturally bigger and when that position is not the result of their body moving fairly as part of play." In this case, Saka’s hand was not in an unnatural position, and the ball hit it fairly as part of play.
Despite Eriksson’s claims, it’s difficult to see how the penalty should have been overturned. The VAR review and the on-field referee’s decision were correct, and Kane’s penalty was awarded in accordance with the laws of the game.
So, what’s the real reason England’s penalty against the Netherlands should not have stood? It’s not because of Saka’s accidental handball, but because of the lack of communication and clarity from the VAR team. The technology is there to help officials make correct decisions, but it’s clear that more work needs to be done to ensure that decisions are made consistently and accurately.
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