Touching The Ball Outside The Penalty Box, What's The Reason Why The FA Cup Final Goalkeeper Was Not Given A Red Card?

JAKARTA - Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson escaped the red card penalty in the FA Cup final match against Manchester City, Sunday 18 May. Dean was seen touching the ball with his hands outside the penalty box.

The incident occurred in the 23rd minute when Henderson came forward to greet Josko Gvardiol's cross which led to City striker Erling Haaland. Henderson was seen sweeping the ball with his right hand outside the penalty box to thwart Haaland's chance of escaping from escort.

Antara reported that referee Stuart Attwell decided to let the game continue. There were no significant protests from City players at the time. However, the moment was then reviewed by Jarred Gillett's Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

After the review, VAR did not recommend a red card because there was no clear and convincing reason that Henderson really thwarted a golden goal-scoring opportunity (denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity/DOGSO).

Under the regulations of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), DOGSO violations must consider several factors, such as distance to goal, direction to attack, possibility of players controlling the ball, and the remaining number of defenders.

In Henderson's case, it was decided that the elements were not strong enough to give a red card.

Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL), the agency that regulates match officials in the UK, states that VAR interventions in the DOGSO case are only carried out if violations are deemed clear and eligible to produce red cards.

Interestingly, 14 minutes after the incident, Henderson managed to ward off a penalty from City striker Omar Marmoush.

This decision raises debate, but remains valid based on the applicable legal interpretation of the game.