Leah Williamson concedes penalty after handball controversy (1:31)Andy Davies Oct 1, 2026, 03:15 AM ET The video assistant referee causes controversy every week, whether it be the Premier League, UEFA Champions League (men's or women's) or FA Cup, but how are those decisions made and are they correct? For the 2026-27 season, we are taking a look at the major incidents to explain the process in terms of both VAR protocol and the laws of the game. The most surprising, controversial and complicated decisions will be examined all season long right here. Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship.
With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a matchday. Why was Leah Williamson penalized for picking the ball up for a goal kick? Paris FC 2-2 Arsenal Referee: Elena Demetrescu VAR: Jakob Kehlet Time: 86th minute Incident: Penalty awarded for handball against Arsenal defender Leah Williamson. What happened: Arsenal's Leah Williamson picked up the ball when goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez passed it to her while setting up to take a goal kick.
However, the referee deemed that Misa had already taken the re-start when she kicked the ball, and awarded Paris FC a penalty. VAR review: VAR would have checked to see whether the ball was stationary at the point Misa played it to Williamson, but did not feel it needed to intervene. Leah Williamson handles the ball after the referee deems it to be back in play Maeline Mendy levels it from the spot for Paris FC Stream every UEFA Women's Champions League game on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/yr M5q Dp3sw— W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 30, 2026 Verdict: This was the correct decision by the referee, and an outcome for which Arsenal can have no complaints.
Following high-profile incidents in UEFA men's matches in recent years -- including an where Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings was penalized for this exact situation in a Europa League match versus Club Brugge in 2024, while Arsenal defender Gabriel avoided sanction for the same thing in a Champions League game vs. Bayern Munich the year before -- UEFA added clarity in its 2026-27 pre-season briefings to ensure consistency and avoiding differing judgements in such situations. The guidance reads: "In goal kick re-starts, if the ball is stationary within the goal area and is kicked by any defending player, the goal kick is considered to have been taken. If a team-mate then deliberately touches the ball with their hand or arm inside the area, these situations will be judged as handball offences and a penalty will be awarded."In the Williamson incident, there may have been some discussion around whether the ball was stationary at the point Misa played it to her, however it looked still in the replays and would have been reviewed by VAR to ensure that the full criteria above was met.
It should also be noted that goal kicks can now be taken from anywhere in the box, so there was no need to play it from the right side, rather than the left. It was a tough lesson for Arsenal, and one that ultimately cost them a valuable win.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing