VAR disallowed a Juventus goal against Cagliari for handball because Luca Pellegrini’s shot struck Adrien Rabiot on the elbow.
The decision prompted controversy and even fury both on the pitch and online, as Rabiot had his arms wrapped around his torso, doing everything possible to tuck his arms in and not handle the ball.
If he had been defending a shot on target, then this would’ve seen intention taken into account and no penalty awarded for handball.
However, the rules continue to ban a goal scored with an arm, regardless of intention or if the arm is in a natural position.
The latest IFAB rules make that clear, noting it is a handball offence if a player scores in the opponents’ goal “directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper; or immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.
“Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
According to the IFAB rules for 2021-22, it was therefore the correct decision to disallow the Juventus goal.