Racing vs Boca: the hand that triggered the controversial final in Avellaneda

The classic between Racing and Boca was a compendium of emotions. The first half of the Cilindro de Avellaneda was all local. The superiority of Academy it was obvious. Those led by Fernando Gago had more than 15 goals to win the game, but the forwards were not doing well.

In the second section, Boca has improved its image thanks to the changes. The entry of Luca Langoni, Cristian Medina and Luis Vázquez gave vent to those led by Hugo Ibarra. And they even got a chance to win it towards the end.

In the last match of the match, when Racing was going through a bad period, the great controversy broke out. Sebastián Villa and Jonathan Gómez contested a ball in the box. the steering wheel of the Academy touched the ball on the ground with his left hand. Rapallini, however, has decided not to take a penalty, even after having reviewed the game at the VAR.

Immediately after the final whistle, the Boca players came out shooting the referee to claim him for the infraction. The judge was firm in not charging the maximum penalty. It all ended with a controversial draw in Avellaneda.

What does the regulation on hands say?

When is it punishable?

The rules explain that a hand is punishable when the following criteria are met.

• “Touch the ball voluntarily with your hand or arm, for example by moving towards the ball with these parts of your body.”
• “Touch the ball with your hand or arm when they are unnaturally positioned and make your body take up more space.” In this regard, they clarify that “it will be considered that they have occupied more space in an unnatural way when the position of the hand or arm is not a consequence of the movement of their body in that specific action or cannot be justified by said movement.” The new regulation says even that “by putting the hand or arm in that position, the player risks that the ball will hit that part of his body and cause an infringement”.
• “Touch the ball with your hand or arm when they are unnaturally positioned and make your body take up more space.” In this regard, they clarify that “it will be considered that they have occupied more space in an unnatural way when the position of the hand or arm is not a consequence of the movement of their body in that specific action or cannot be justified by said movement.” The new regulation says even that “by putting the hand or arm in that position, the player risks that the ball will hit that part of his body and cause an infringement”.
• “Scoring a goal in the opponent’s goal, either directly with the hand or arm – even if accidental – or immediately after the ball has touched the hand or arm, even accidentally”.

When is it not punishable?

Under the new criteria, there are actions that will no longer be punishable. In the new regulation, an explanation is added to all this indicating that “not all contact with the hand or arm constitutes an infringement“The hand will not be charged on the following occasions.

• “The referees must evaluate the position of the hands or arm with respect to the player’s action in a given situation.”
• “Actions where a teammate accidentally touches the ball with his hand or arm just before the goal or when this creates a goal opportunity will no longer be considered an infringement.”