Cup final penalty further underlines absurdity of modern handball

INCREDULOUS: Referee Paul Tierney interacts with Jack Grealish of Manchester City after a VAR check for handball which is given to Manchester United during the FA Cup final. Pic: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

As it turned out, it didn’t affect the destination of the FA Cup or deny Manchester City a chance at the treble, but it might have done. Manchester United had created very little when suddenly VAR gave them a penalty for something almost nobody appealed. Assuredly, under the laws, as they are now interpreted, the decision was correct. Jack Grealish’s hand was raised almost to shoulder height as Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s header struck it, and that these days is an offence. But really, why should it be?

Why should games be decided not by skill or heart, by organisation or improvisation, but by 75% chances of a goal handed out because of random bounces and bobbles? Grealish was not cheating. He did not seek to gain an advantage. He just jumped and, in twisting to see where the ball went, his arm went out to balance him. This wasn’t a Peter Schmeichel-style star jump, spreading himself to make a block; it was just a man jumping, his arms doing what arms do when somebody jumps.