PSG-Arsenal: Why Paris Did Not Get a Penalty for Bukayo Saka's Handball

In the Champions League final, Paris Saint-Germain was denied a penalty despite a clear handball by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka within the penalty area. The incident occurred shortly after Arsenal took the lead in the match held in Budapest.

German referee Daniel Siebert, supported by the video assistant referee (VAR) officials, did not award a penalty. Their decision was based on Law 12 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which governs fouls and misconduct. The law states that not all contact between the ball and a player's hand or arm constitutes an offense.

According to IFAB rules, a handball is only considered a foul if it is "deliberate." Furthermore, a player is deemed to have "artificially extended" their body's surface area if their arm or hand position is not a natural consequence of their body's movement in that specific situation or cannot be justified by such movement.

In Saka's case, the officials determined that his handling of the ball was a result of a clumsy attempt to play it, rather than an intentional act to enlarge his body surface area or control the ball. This interpretation led to the decision of no penalty.

This ruling is reminiscent of a similar incident in a previous match between Bayern Munich and PSG. During that game, Vitinha's clearance struck João Neves' hand in the penalty area, and a penalty was also not awarded.