The Definitive Angle: NWSL Week 12
The Definitive Angle is PRO’s analysis of the week’s Video Review use in NWSL.
WAS vs SD: No penalty
What happened: After review, DC’s #17 [Hal Hershfelt] did not commit a punishable handball offense when the ball hit her arm, as there was no deliberate movement of the arm toward the ball.
The final decision was no penalty. Play restarted with a goal kick [to Washington Spirit].
Length of Review: 1:40
PRO’s opinion: The ball was headed clear from the corner by Casey Krueger (WAS), and it hit Hershfelt’s (WAS) right arm after coming off Abby Dahlkemper (SD) from close range. While her arm was positioned above her shoulder, the ball hit it after it came unexpectedly. Her arm was not in this position to make her body bigger or to create a barrier. It was naturally in this position when the ball unexpectedly came to her arm. The referee was correct in maintaining her original decision.
Please note: These videos do not contain audio. They are a recording of the screen as viewed by the VAR in real-time.