"Foul Occurred Outside Penalty Area," Refereeing Expert Foutghil Explains Why AS FAR Penalty Was Overturned

Foutghil, a refereeing expert from the National Refereeing Directorate, clarified the reason behind the decision not to award a penalty to AS FAR against Ittihad Tanger during Week 18 of the Professional League.

During a communication meeting dedicated to discussing national refereeing developments and VAR technology, Foutghil addressed one of the controversial refereeing incidents in the AS FAR vs. Ittihad Tanger match. The referee initially awarded a penalty to the military team but reversed his decision after a VAR review.

The refereeing expert explained that VAR technology confirmed the foul was committed outside the penalty area. Replays showed that the point of contact between the two players was outside the line, leading the referee to overturn the penalty decision.

Foutghil's analysis of the incident stated: "A penalty was awarded on the field, and VAR's job was to verify whether the foul occurred inside or outside the penalty area. The point of contact here was identified as knee against knee. We clearly observe that at the moment of contact, the defender's legs were outside the penalty area. For a penalty to be awarded, I remind you of the law: the field lines are considered part of the penalty area and its boundaries."

He continued: "Therefore, at least the defender's legs should have been inside the penalty area or on the line. If you know a little about body anatomy, the knee only bends forward. Or the knee should have been fully advanced inwards to be on the line, which of course did not happen. Both legs were outside the area, and the knee contact occurred outside it, as was the defender's foot. Thus, the contact indeed took place outside the area. Therefore, VAR's role in this case was to confirm whether the foul was inside or outside the area, and it was determined that the foul occurred outside the penalty area."