Arm or Appeal? The Controversial Handball Decision in Real Madrid's La Liga Showdown

Late handball moment raises questions

A late snapshot of Raúl Asensio, Real Madrid's defender, during the Villarreal clash, sparked a heated debate over officiating as Villarreal fans loudly protested the referee's every whistle and hand gesture.

Madrid won 2-0 away, briefly ruling La Liga top with 51 points, two ahead of Barcelona.

In the 85th minute, with Madrid already in front, Asensio slipped and touched the ball with his arm near the edge of the box, while he was the last defender.

Rules, verdict, and reactions

Villarreal fans whistled the decision and urged referee Cesar Soto Grado to review the incident with VAR on the big screen.

Under Law 12, a handball is called when a player deliberately handles the ball with his hand or arm, or makes his body appear larger.

There are cases where a handball isn\'t punished, such as when the ball rebounds directly from head or torso.

If the ball rebounds from the body to the arm as a player falls, a handball can be ruled differently.

Archivo VAR, an Spanish account on X, argued the referee\'s decision was valid given the sequence.

The explanation noted that after the slip, the ball touched his thigh then his arm, which was angled toward the ground, and there was no nearby contest.

Despite the debate, Madrid still leads the league by a slim margin, and the incident kept the focus on refereeing and VAR in La Liga.

Reaction among broadcasters and fans continues to debate for days.

Punchline 1: If handballs were a sniper shot, this one nailed the drama.

Punchline 2: And if VAR ever runs out of popcorn, the crowd will supply its own.