I read that the referee (Fabio Maresca, ex-FIFA) was called to an OFR by the VAR (Davide Massa, UEFA Elite referee) but stuck to his on-field call.
“Easy?” I mean he’s about to be challenged by 1-3 players depending upon how well he controls the ball. And there’s a player in the penalty area who is backtracking and could head or chest a ball. It’s an attacking opportunity. Nothing about this is easy. Or an OGSO. The best players in the world have to take the next touch or two perfectly to score.
I wasn't supporting it. I was just giving the only possible reasoning I could come up with. I did look it up, and there was an OFR so that's the only thing I possibly could come up with. Until the last views, I thought maybe it was for the challenge itself, but I can't see that either.
AC Milan's keeper plays games after a PK call and starts roaming around the penalty area. Appears to fake that the referee stepped on him and overreacts to the referee slightly touching him and swipes back at him making contact. Wouldn't it have been easier to have shown the caution earlier when he's way off his goal line? La merda in testa MaignanPerde tempoFa finta di subire un tocco sul piede dall’arbitro Si scansa come se l’arbitro fosse un appestatoLivello Sportività #UomoDiMerda Giusto per il Milan potevi giocare pic.twitter.com/xe1NnFUkY4— IM Macs Chivu (@massimo_macs) January 26, 2026
I think the game needs to work on the excessive delays and gamesmanship at PKs. GKs know Rs are very reluctant to caution them at a PK and push, push, push boundaries. There needs to be a will to stop it.
Another one from Turkey. Apparently this goal in the 3rd division wasn't awarded after none of the refs saw it cross the line. (Ball in upper left of goal) Fatsa Belediyespor’un Sebat Gençlik karşısında verilmeyen frikik golü. Düşünceleriniz?@Sifirtvresmi pic.twitter.com/jI5MRqLFRo— Alt Ligler (@AltLiglerTR) January 25, 2026
I have never seen the 2nd half ready to start only for the referee to trot out to the monitor: 😳🇧🇷🇨🇴 Jorge Carrascal SE FUE EXPULSADO vía VAR al inicio del SEGUNDO TIEMPO por un CODAZO que tiró en el PT.INCREÍBLE momento en la Supecopa de Brasil. ⛔️pic.twitter.com/nboUpt5EYN— Ataque Futbolero (@AtaqueFutbolero) February 1, 2026
This seems to not be allowed in the Laws of the Game. Law 5.2: “The referee may not change a restart decision on realising that it is incorrect or on the advice of another match official if play has restarted or the referee has signalled the end of the first or second half (including extra time) and left the field of play or abandoned the match. However, if at the end of the half, the referee leaves the field of play to go to the referee review area (RRA) or to instruct the players to return to the field of play, this does not prevent a decision being changed for an incident which occurred before the end of the half.”
Ah, my bad. You’re right. Especially since the VAR protocol does give that exemption for VC later on. Serves me right for trying to use my brain in the wee hours of the morning.
This was ruled a PK after VAR review. I see a defender making contact with the top of the cleat and a forward diving with little to lose if the referee doesn't whistle it Rasmus Højlund wins it for 10-man Napoli with a 95th minute penalty 🤯🔵 pic.twitter.com/1x5czvYlD9— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 7, 2026
It is this handball? The entire scene (hope it is not geoblocked) at 4:50s here in case it doesn't work
This evolution is also intriguing. Almost everything IFAB does these days is to make things more black and white. But this change created significant ambiguity. Top bs side is relatively precise. The bottom of the arm pit is hopelessly not so when arms are away from the body.
I wouldn’t say it created ambiguity. It just didn’t eliminate all of the ambiguity. Previously there was no definition at all!