Confusion at Wolves as ball strikes Romain Saiss in ‘pink zone’ however VAR says ‘inexperienced zone’ to disclaim Aston Villa penalty for handball

There was confusion in the course of the match at Wolves on Saturday as Aston Villa had been denied a penalty when the ball struck Romain Saiss on the arm.

Following quite a few controversies within the Premier League earlier this season, the Premier League’s interpretation of handball has modified in latest weeks.

To stop mushy spot-kicks being awarded when the ball strikes a defender from point-blank vary, officers are actually urged to think about whether or not the arm is in an ‘anticipated’ place.

Initially, the choice at Molineux on Saturday seemed to be the right one, as Wolves defender Saiss had little time to react and his arm was not in an unnatural place when the ball hit him from a Jacob Ramsey cross.

Nevertheless, it later emerged that the video assistant referee stated, ‘No penalty, inexperienced zone’ when deciding in opposition to awarding a penalty.

This refers to tips given to referees to determine which space of the physique constitutes handball, which you’ll see beneath:

It appears clear from the freeze body of the Saiss incident that the ball struck the Wolves defender within the pink zone.

Reacting to the choice on BT Sport, former Premier League referee Peter Walton describing the reasoning as ‘alarming’, though insisted it was the right name to not award a penalty.

Saiss’ arm was certainly in an ‘anticipated place’, so it appears as if the best choice was made, however for the incorrect causes.