Hapoel Petah Tikva's Equalizer Disallowed Due to Offside Despite VAR Malfunction

In a recent match on August 23, 2026, Hapoel Petah Tikva lost 1-0 to Ironi Tiberias after a late goal by Frank Riboliya was disallowed for offside. The referee, Shnir Levi, did not see the offside in real time but ruled the goal out following advice from the video assistant referee (VAR) team. However, the VAR system's video feed was not functioning during the incident.

The professional committee later reviewed the disallowed goal and justified the intervention, stating that Shavit Mazal was in an offside position and interfered with play immediately, having played the ball during the sequence leading to the goal. The committee emphasized that if a defending player or goalkeeper is in the process of controlling the ball, even if they have touched it but not yet fully controlled it, an attacking player arriving from an offside position who interferes with the opponent will be penalized for offside.

This clarification explains why the goal was disallowed despite the VAR system's technical failure, highlighting the rules regarding offside interference during ball control. The incident occurred late in the match, at the 86th minute, and was a decisive moment in the game.