Referees Association Rules No Penalty for Maccabi Haifa Against Hapoel Ramat Gan

Maccabi Haifa won 2-1 against Hapoel Ramat Gan in the opening round of the Israeli Premier League on August 26, but a controversial penalty decision overshadowed the match. In the 84th minute, 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 Association reviewed the incident and concluded that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention was justified and that no foul had occurred. The association stated that the on-field referee should have accepted the VAR recommendation and canceled the penalty. They also criticized the referee for taking an excessively long time reviewing the incident on the pitch monitor, which goes against the association's guidelines.

This ruling clarifies that the penalty call was incorrect and highlights the importance of adhering to VAR decisions promptly. The association's statement emphasized the expectation that referees follow VAR advice to ensure accurate officiating in the league.