At the time of writing, Luis Campos has probably still not digested the decision of François Letexier, the referee of this PSG – OL (0-1). The football advisor of the Parisian club, not really a Zen master, showed his wrath after a penalty was not awarded Sunday night to the still leader of the championship, following a hand of Dejan Lovren just before the end of the first half (45th + 2).

The score was then 0-0, and Lyon captain Alexandre Lacazette had missed a penalty a few minutes earlier. On the disputed action, therefore, Nuno Mendes is served deep by Lionel Messi, at the corner of 6 meters Lyon. The left piston controls from the left and then immediately centers from the right, "ripping" his ball a little, which ricocheted on the mimine of the Croatian defender, very close to the Portuguese. After a quick contact with the VAR via his headset, the referee does not go back on his decision not to award penalty and asks the Parisians to play a corner.



And the rules of the International Football Association Board (Ifab), the guardian of the game, what does it say? In March 2021, the body had wanted to clarify the rules on hand faults, proof that the subject is complicated.

"Artificial increase" or not?

"Contact between the ball and a player's arm or hand does not necessarily constitute an offence," the IFAB said. With regard to the "artificial increase in body area", it was confirmed that referees must continue to analyse the validity of the position of the hand or arm vis-à-vis the player's general movement in the specific situation. »


For there to be a fault of hand, and therefore penalty if it takes place in the box, it is necessary that the player:

- "deliberately touching the ball with your arm or hand, for example with movement of the arm or hand towards the ball";

- "touches the ball with his arm or hand having artificially increased the area covered by his body", in other words "when the position of his arm or hand is not a consequence of the movement of his body in that specific situation or is not justifiable by such a movement".

François Letexier and his VAR colleagues judged that Lovren, whose hand is obviously involuntary, did not have a reprehensible body attitude. Yet another proof that video will never solve all the problems of football, even after 1,000 views of the same action.

  • Football
  • Sport
  • Ligue 1
  • Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG)
  • Olympique Lyonnais (OL)
  • Penalty
  • Video refereeing
  • Arbitration
  • Dejan lovren