Howard Webb dissects key decision that went the way of Newcastle United


 
 
 
 
 
 

Howard Webb, PGMOL and the Premier League are opening up discussions between the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for key incidents this season.

In the first instalment of “Match Officials Mic’d Up” in 2024/25, Howard Webb, chief operating officer at PGMOL, the organisation that oversees the League’s match officials, has discussed five recent incidents.

The idea is to go through the conversations between the match officials to give fans a greater knowledge of how decisions are made.

The officials on the pitch do not hear all the conversations from the VAR hub in Stockley Park.

Amongst the five recent incidents that Howard Webb has dissected, is a key one that went the way of Newcastle United.

Premier League official site – 17 September 2024:

Incident:

AFC Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara scores against Newcastle United from a corner which is given on-field by referee David Coote.

What the match officials did:

VAR officials Tim Robinson and Neil Davies review the incident and say the ball strikes Ouattara’s arm. As it’s a factual decision, they inform Coote to disallow the goal and restart play with a free-kick to Newcastle.

Assistant VAR:

“If it’s not hit the head [of Ouattara], the only other thing it can come off is the arm.”

VAR:

“Are you happy that’s factual?”

Assistant VAR:

“I’m happy that’s low enough [to be handball.”

VAR speaking to the on the pitch referee:

“I’m going to recommend you disallow the goal for a factual handball by the goalscorer, the number 11 [Ouattara].

“So, the restart is a direct free kick.”

Howard Webb now reviewing:

“In this situation, the ball strikes Ouattara’s shoulder, upper-arm area.

“It’s hard to be totally conclusive as to exactly where.

“Now, the VAR looked at this and decided that, in his professional opinion, that was in the area of the arm that has to be penalised below the bottom of the armpit.

“That’s the important reference point. I don’t think that’s conclusive enough to intervene.

“Equally, if the goal had been disallowed by the on-field officials handball, I don’t think there’s evidence here to say that there’s no handball either.

“So again, it goes back to ‘referee’s call’. It’s an important concept. And for those factual matters you need evidence. It’s very clear that the on-field call is wrong, I don’t think we have it here.”

I think Howard Webb sums this up pretty well.

It could have gone either way.

When I first saw the replays I thought it was just low enough to be handball and nothing I have seen since has changed my mind.

However, it was such a close call and as Howard Webb says, with it being such a close call, then the direction that has been given this season for match officials/VAR, should have seen it stay with the referee on the pitch. Howard Webb saying he thinks this should also have been the case if the referee had disallowed the Bournemouth goal for handball, then VAR shouldn’t have then intervened either.

Stats via BBC Sport:

Bournemouth 1 Newcastle 1 – Sunday 25 August 2pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Gordon 76

Bournemouth:

Tavernier 37

Possession was Newcastle 61% Bournemouth 39%

Total shots were Newcastle 14 Bournemouth 16

Shots on target were Newcastle 5 Bournemouth 4

Corners were Newcastle 9 Bournemouth 8

Touches in the box Newcastle 32 Bournemouth 27

Newcastle United team v Bournemouth:

Pope; Livramento (Trippier 58), Krafth, Burn, Kelly (Hall 69), Longstaff (Willock 70), Bruno, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy (Barnes 58), Isak, Gordon (Almmiron 89)

Unused subs:

Ruddy, Targett, Osula, Alex Murphy