Portuguese football authorities are pushing to standardize refereeing criteria and enhance consistency in crucial decisions, particularly handballs, aligning with international guidelines.
Duarte Gomes, the national technical director of refereeing for the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), recently outlined these objectives. He discussed the matter on the program ‘Livre Arbítrio’ on Canal 11.
This push follows weeks of debate in Portuguese football, including a controversial penalty decision involving Benfica defender António Silva. The incident highlighted challenges in evaluating situations where the ball strikes a player’s arm.
Gomes stressed that the FPF adheres to international recommendations from UEFA for such complex calls. He emphasized the goal of achieving consistency across different matches and officials.
To illustrate these guidelines, Gomes used examples from the Turkish league, rather than domestic Portuguese matches. One case involved a potential handball by a defender during a match between Besiktas and Sivasspor.
He explained that such an incident, where an arm is in an “unnatural position” and increases the player’s body volume, should result in a penalty. This applies even if the player attempts to withdraw their arm after the ball’s trajectory is altered.
Such a clear and obvious handball should be penalized without disciplinary action for the player. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is mandated to intervene if the on-field official misses such a clear infraction.
Gomes reiterated that standardizing criteria and improving consistency is a key objective, extending beyond just handball incidents to overall refereeing quality.