VAR Review: Why Germany didn't get a penalty for Cucurella's "handball" (2024)

On Friday, Spain beat Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, but should the hosts have had a penalty in extra time?

Jamal Musiala attempted a shot on goal from outside the area, which was blocked by Marc Cucurella's hand.

So, why was a penalty not given by the VAR?

Spain 2-1 Germany

Possible penalty: Handball by Cucurella

What happened: Musiala attempted a shot on goal in extra time in the 105th minute from outside the area, which was blocked by Cucurella. Germany's players appealed for a penalty for handball, but referee Anthony Taylor waved away the appeals. The VAR, Stuart Attwell, checked for a possible spot kick.

VAR decision: No penalty.

VAR Review: We've had two situations in successive games with Germany, both which had Attwell as the VAR. One resulted in a penalty, the other didn't. So what's the difference, and why? It's where we've got to in the modern game. When is the ball hitting the arm "handball," and when isn't it?

Let's cover the first one in the round of 16, when Denmark's Joachim Andersen was penalised when the ball touched his arm from a David Raum cross.

UEFA says that if the arm is in a raised position (or horizontal) creating a barrier to stop the ball, that's not explainable by body position, then the referee and/or VAR should advise a spot kick. If UEFA didn't believe this was a correct decision, Attwell wouldn't be in the video chair for the quarterfinal game.

So what of Cucurella?

In his pre-tournament briefing, Roberto Rosetti, UEFA's head of referees, gave specific examples of handball penalties -- for and against. Rosetti showed a clip of the ball hitting a defender's arm from a shot on goal. The arm was in a vertical position, close to the body.

Rosetti said: "Not every touch of arm, hand is a penalty. We want to consider the movement of the players. Biomechanical movements. You know, this is a clear situation. This is never a penalty."

The example given was very close to the Cucurella incident. While handball in UEFA competitions remains more strict, it has tried to give at least some more leeway to defenders so they don't need to have their hand behind their back.

So UEFA says that a defender in a standing position when the ball hits their arm at or close to their side, in position vertically, and/or with the arm behind the line of the body, it should not be punished. That Cucurella was bringing his arm in is a factor, as that's deemed to be removing a possible barrier (though you could be deemed to be doing that in a deliberate handball action.)

The problem? The ball hitting the arm of Andersen from fairly close range, with minimal contact, when in a running motion, seems less acceptable than giving a penalty against Cucurella for stopping a shot on goal.

But, like it or not, in both instances the decision has been given as UEFA expects.