The VAR audio from Botafogo's disallowed goal against Flamengo | OneFootball

Refereeing committee deemed the review that identified the attacker’s handball before the shot to be correct

On Monday (31), the CBF released the audio of the VAR review of the disallowed goal by Arthur Cabral, Botafogo. The play happened in the opening minutes of Flamengo’s 3-0 win at the Maracanã. As a result, the committee deemed video referee Daniel Nobre Bins’ intervention correct.

What the VAR review audio shows

“We’re looking at a possible handball after he’s on the ground, whether it hits his arm. Let play continue, I want a ‘between,’ Pedro. We need to see if it also hits the other guy’s hand,” said the VAR. “OK. It hits the hand, clearly. Factual, the ball hits the attacker’s hand when he falls to the ground and then he scores immediately after, OK?”

The footage shows that the ball first hits Léo Pereira’s hand, in a play considered accidental. However, right after that, the ball also hits the arm of Arthur Cabral, who was on the ground. The forward then gets up, keeps possession, and shoots on goal shortly after the touch.

Why the rules require Arthur Cabral’s goal to be disallowed

The refereeing analysis focused precisely on the attacker’s own handball. Under FIFA and IFAB rules, not every handball automatically constitutes an offense. However, there are specific situations in which the penalty applies directly.

It is an offense when a player deliberately touches the ball with the hand or arm. It is also considered a foul when the player makes their body unnaturally bigger. Therefore, the arm position must be a natural consequence of the movement in that play.

The rules are also strict regarding handball by the goalscorer. Therefore, a goal must be disallowed when the ball touches the hand of the player who scores. This applies even when the contact happens accidentally during the play.

The rule also applies when the touch happens immediately before the shot. Thus, even without intent, Arthur Cabral’s goal could not be validated. For the purpose of analysis, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

After thrashing Botafogo, the Rubro-Negro face Mirassol in a rescheduled match from the fourth round of the Brasileirão on Wednesday (02). The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã.

What is the author’s opinion on the VAR decision in the play?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.