The VAR’s decision to intervene and rule out Neco Williams’ second-half goal against Tottenham has been the subject of much debate following Forest’s 0-0 draw with Spurs on Saturday.
Spurs picked up their first point of the season at the City Ground and they had to work extremely hard for it, with the two sides cancelling each other out.
The home side’s disallowed goal in the 65th minute of the game has dominated the headlines over the last couple of days.
As Sandro Tonali was attempting to clear the ball off the line, Neco Williams stooped in to head it over the line, but replays showed that the ball may have gone in off the Forest defender’s arm.
Keith Hackett says VAR should not have ruled out Nottingham Forest’s goal against Tottenham
Williams and Forest boss Oliver Glasner have both blasted the decision to rule out the goal, insisting that it was not a clear handball on the line.
Former PGMOL chief and former FIFA referee Keith Hackett agrees with Glasner, suggesting that the evidence for the ball striking Williams’ hand was inconclusive.
Hackett told Football Insider: “When you look closely on the big screen at that disallowed Nottingham Forest goal, having played it on several occasions, it is actually inconclusive that the ball struck the hand or arm, either accidentally or deliberately. Therefore, VAR should not have intervened.
“And certainly, on the evidence I have witnessed, the goal should not have been ruled out. The law is specific, and I want to clarify that if the ball does strike the hand and arm, and it goes directly into the goal, then the goal would be ruled out. On this occasion, it is inconclusive that the ball actually made contact with the scorer’s hand or arm.”
Evidence does appear to show the ball striking Williams’ hand
As Hackett points out, the law is clear that if there is any evidence at all of the ball striking the goalscorer’s hand, the goal would have been ruled out.
However, contrary to what he suggests, there does seem to be evidence of the ball making contact with Williams’ hand before it crossed the line.
Perhaps his point is that it is not completely conclusive from the footage, but now that we have these images, it is difficult to argue that the right decision was not reached by VAR.
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