Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has commended the referee’s application of “common sense” in the decision not to penalize Gabriel for a handball incident during the recent 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, expressed frustration after referee Glenn Nyberg purportedly disclosed that he refrained from penalizing Gabriel for handling the ball, as the player had picked it up from a short goal-kick by David Raya and restarted play himself, citing it as a “kid’s mistake.”
Although Gabriel’s action may technically constitute a handball under the rules, Arteta lauded Nyberg’s choice not to halt play.
Arteta remarked to the press ahead of Arsenal’s forthcoming match against Aston Villa, “Yes, I did notice it, especially after observing the reaction from the Bayern players. I believe the referees adhered to the law.
The law stipulates the use of common sense and consideration of whether any advantage was gained from the situation, which, in this case, there was none.”
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) expects referees to exercise common sense and apply the “spirit of the game” when enforcing the Laws of the Game.
This application of common sense is commonly referred to as ‘Law 18’ in IFAB’s Laws of the Game, despite the absence of an actual Law 18.
FIFA match official and rules analyst Christina Unkel remarked to CBS Sports, “If you are advocating for this to be considered a penalty kick, with all due respect, you are opposed to the essence of football. Here, we must rely on common sense and Law 18.”
“In this situation, Bayern did not suffer any disadvantage, and, most importantly, it was simply an inadvertent and honest mistake.
There is no indication that the defender deliberately picked up the ball and restarted play, except for the fact that he never heard the whistle in the first place,” Unkel added.
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