Webb brands handball law 'a nonsense' after City derby VAR error

Howard Webb has described the law governing accidental handball as "a bit of a nonsense" and called for it to be reformed so referees are no longer pulled into what he termed "ridiculous situations".

The chief refereeing officer for English football made the comments on Tuesday, days after Manchester City beat Manchester United in Sunday's derby thanks to a goal from Erling Haaland.

Webb used the same appearance to address a separate refereeing error from that match, acknowledging he was "really disappointed" that the video assistant referee had failed to identify Enzo Fernández interfering with play from an offside position in the build-up to Haaland's strike, which proved the only goal of the game.

According to Webb, the VAR officials involved had shown "tunnel vision" during their review of the passage of play, an admission that the mistake should have been caught before the goal was allowed to stand.

His comments on handball came in the same discussion, with Webb arguing that the current wording of the law leaves officials having to make fine, often contentious judgments over accidental contact that he believes serve nobody well.

The intervention adds Webb's voice to a wider debate that has followed several high-profile handball and VAR decisions in English football this season, though he did not set out a timetable for any change to the law.

For Manchester City, the win kept them level with United at the top of the discussion around this season's title race narrative, though the result itself will stand regardless of Webb's admission over the officiating error.

United, who lost the derby to the disputed goal, will be looking to the next round of Premier League fixtures to respond, with Webb's comments likely to fuel further scrutiny of VAR protocols in matches involving the two Manchester clubs.