Israeli Referees Union Rules No Penalty for Maccabi Haifa Against Hapoel Ramat Gan
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
The Israeli Referees Union ruled that a penalty awarded to Maccabi Haifa against Hapoel Ramat Gan was incorrect, supporting the VAR's recommendation to cancel it after a borderline foul in the 84th minute. The referee was also criticized for a prolonged review time. Maccabi Haifa won the match 2-1, with the penalty missed by Eitan Azulai.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Haifa beat Hapoel Ramat Gan 2-1 in the Israeli Premier League opener.
- A penalty awarded to Maccabi Haifa in the 84th minute was later ruled incorrect.
- The Israeli Referees Union confirmed the VAR intervention was justified to cancel the penalty.
- No foul was found on the borderline contact involving Andrea Novakovic and Moshe Semel.
- The referee was criticized for taking too long reviewing the VAR footage on the pitch.
- Eitan Azulai missed the penalty kick awarded but later overturned by VAR.
Maccabi Haifa defeated Hapoel Ramat Gan 2-1 in the opening round of the Israeli Premier League on August 26. A controversial moment occurred in the 84th minute when Andrea Novakovic entered the penalty area and fell after a borderline contact with Hapoel Ramat Gan player Moshe Semel. The referee awarded a penalty to Maccabi Haifa, which Eitan Azulai missed, failing to extend the lead.
Following the match, the Israeli Referees Union reviewed the incident and concluded that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention was justified. The union's committee determined that no foul had occurred and that the main referee should have accepted the VAR recommendation to cancel the penalty. The committee also criticized the referee for taking an excessively long time reviewing the footage on the pitch, which goes against established guidelines.
This ruling clarifies the refereeing standards expected in the league and highlights the importance of VAR in ensuring correct decisions. The decision confirms that the penalty call was incorrect and that the VAR system functioned properly in this case.
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