Crystal Palace may have lifted the Community Shield on Sunday after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Liverpool, but many fans felt they were denied a crucial decision in normal time.
Late in the game, with the score level, Alexis Mac Allister leapt to challenge for a cross in Liverpool’s penalty area. The ball missed his head and struck his raised arm, stopping it from reaching Ismaïla Sarr. Palace players immediately appealed, but referee Chris Kavanagh waved play on. VAR official Paul Tierney reviewed the incident and upheld the on-field decision — no penalty.
So, why wasn’t it given? According to Dale Johnson, an ESPN rules analyst, the Premier League applies the handball law more leniently than many European leagues. For context, last season only nine penalties in England were awarded for handball, compared to 28 in La Liga.
Johnson explained that VAR in England typically intervenes only when:
The arm is fully extended away from the body
The player is facing the ball
Or the action appears deliberate
In Mac Allister’s case, his arm was raised behind him as he jumped — a position considered natural for balance. Because he wasn’t looking directly at the ball and the contact appeared accidental, officials ruled there was no infringement.
Johnson noted that had the ball struck Mac Allister’s forward arm while tracking the ball’s flight, Palace’s claims would have been stronger. But with the arm behind his body, the decision was always likely to go Liverpool’s way.
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