Why Man Utd goal was allowed to stand - despite Maguire 'handball'
The handball law often serves to confuse supporters - and it reared its head again as Harry Maguire celebrated putting Manchester United in front against Ipswich Town.
The handball law often confuses fans, and it did so once again during Manchester United's 5-2 victory against Ipswich Town. Harry Maguire headed the ball, which struck his arm before he advanced towards the goal and scored the goal. Typically, a handball by the scorer would result in the goal being disallowed. However, there are three exceptions where accidental handball by the scorer doesn't count.
Video Assistant Referee Jarred Gillett confirmed to referee Craig Pawson, "It's an own goal, and the accidental handball is not punishable, so we recommend you award the goal." If the VAR had deemed Maguire's handball deliberate, the goal could have been disallowed. Manchester United went on to win the game 5-2, thanks to a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick.
A similar situation occurred in January 2023, when Ben Mee's accidental handball resulted in an own goal for Brentford against Liverpool.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport Football's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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