Jamie Carragher has blasted the handball rule after labelling the decision to award Newcastle a last-minute penalty against Tottenham Hotspur an 'absolute disgrace'.
Spurs were looking to see out a 1-0 win over the Magpies on Sunday afternoon when the ball struck the arm of Eric Dier, who was facing the other way, in the penalty area following a late free kick from the visitors.
VAR intervened and referee Peter Bankes was advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After watching a number of replays, the referee pointed to the spot to award Newcastle a controversial penalty.
New signing Callum Wilson stepped up and made no mistake in dispatching the spot kick beyond Hugo Lloris to snatch a point at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
The 2020-21 campaign has seen a handful of controversial decisions relating to penalties awarded for handball, with Manchester United's Victor Lindelof and Crystal Palace's Joel Ward already harshly punished this season.
And Carragher has vented his fury with the interpretation of the rule, exclaiming that the rule as it is currently followed is 'ruining football'.
'It's an absolute disgrace. An absolute joke,' the Liverpool legend fumed over Sky Sports commentary.
'Newcastle fans will be ecstatic, I can understand that. But everyone else in this country will say exactly what I am saying and what I am thinking.
'Eric Dier jumps for the ball, has no control of where his arms are going, there is a header half a yard away from him, hits him on the back of the arm, has no idea what is going on.'
Carragher made a direct plea to football's governing bodies to immediately change the way the law is interpreted, so as to stop controversial decisions being made.
'This is a joke. Whether it's the Premier League, the FA, FIFA, [Pierluigi] Collina, whoever's involved in this – stop it, because you are ruining football for everybody. Absolute joke.'
The controversial decision saw a wave of indignation from former players on Twitter, with former Spurs striker Gary Lineker tweeting: 'Ludicrous. Utterly ludicrous law exacerbated by VAR. Can we have our game back please?'
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho stormed off down the tunnel before the spot kick was even struck, with the Portuguese tactician angered by the late decision.
'I don't want to speak about it,' he told BBC Sport. 'The only feeling I am ready to share is that I don't feel Tottenham is respected according to to what the club is. No respect.
'It is my feeling. You know it is the third club I manager in the country, so happy so proud, so happy everyday, I would not change it for any other job in the world but I feel it, I feel we deserve more respect.'
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce sympathised with his Tottenham counterpart, saying top flight managers should get together to force change.
'I can understand why Spurs will go berserk and Roy Hodgson reacted like he did,' he told Sky Sports. 'It is a total nonsense, we should be jumping through hoops but I would be devastated if that was us.
'Maybe Roy is right, maybe we all need to get together. The decisions are ruining the spectacle. We have to get together as managers and say this must stop.'
The result means that Spurs have picked up four points from a possible nine so far this season, and take on Mourinho's former club, Manchester United, next.
Doyacd
0
What happened to the part about “intent” when I studied for reffing we had to prove the intention to gain advantage from handball. When was the law changed.
Spursfan4lifeoffic
0
what has happened to football since the 2000 chiellini, ivanovic getting bit by chewy suarez,a sorry I mean luis 😂😂😂😂 this rule is disgrace even I hate eric but this so so bad chiellini like this
Yashko17
1
if this such situations happened in favour of Liverpool, u will never hear a negative comment from any Liverpool pundit . Liverpool had a penalty against Leeds United which shouldn't have been a penalty, Did u ever heard a Liverpool player or pundit talking about that????
Bro remember psg vs manu in UCL ro16😂 Calm down,the only reason your are even playing UCL this season is because of silly penalties given to Manchester United...
Icharustheangel
0
Truth is, Tottenham were so poor and failed to wrap up the match after scoring early in the first half with Newcastle not in their best form on the day. That apart, the new rule is killing football. As one said, strikers will now aim at opponents’ hands and not the goal post.
we were poor you must've watched the back of your tv
yubamorsuy
0
Truth is, Tottenham were so poor and failed to wrap up the match after scoring early in the first half with Newcastle not in their best form on the day. That apart, the new rule is killing football. As one said, strikers will now aim at opponents’ hands and not the goal post.
rajarsenalfc
2
what about that hand ball of ward of crystal palace against Everton have been given that panalty which leads the second goal which turns out to be a decider on 2-1 against Crystal palace . that's also makes no sense ...that should also be talk about...if it goes this way player will look for defender hands than to look for the goalpost..really a single unintentional tuck in hand the game really fucked up🙄🙄
SanNan
0
if this such situations happened in favour of Liverpool, u will never hear a negative comment from any Liverpool pundit . Liverpool had a penalty against Leeds United which shouldn't have been a penalty, Did u ever heard a Liverpool player or pundit talking about that????
Bro see the match he had control where his arm was he could have kept it close to body how is dier gonna even control his arms when he is trying to go for a header and ball comes out of nowhere ??
Gunners4ever❤
1
ok
That's my boy😏
Nidbkotyz
2
if this such situations happened in favour of Liverpool, u will never hear a negative comment from any Liverpool pundit . Liverpool had a penalty against Leeds United which shouldn't have been a penalty, Did u ever heard a Liverpool player or pundit talking about that????
Because that was a clear penalty. This was very different.
licilrst
1
if this such situations happened in favour of Liverpool, u will never hear a negative comment from any Liverpool pundit . Liverpool had a penalty against Leeds United which shouldn't have been a penalty, Did u ever heard a Liverpool player or pundit talking about that????
Denverick
2
ok
NewtScamander
4
Totally agree with Jamie... The same incident happened in PSG vs ManU last 16 at the UCL
nezbisyz
5
infact football have turned to storyline in a witch-hunting as in who the Var like win the game. how can someone who is not backing out the direction of Ball and was hited on his back hand be booked for handball without knowing the direction of the Ball. Hmmmmm Var even hate Jose Mourinho. so bad bad badly
legend22
6
FIFA can one time give each team a penalty to take each game, every game there's a penalty even in La Liga and Serie A. This is a FUCKING joke and I'm sick and tired of VAR. what the tell do they even do in that studio.
Boruto33
4
This hanball is joke