Ally McCoist is absolutely fuming with the Premier League’s new handball rule and said it’s ‘making a complete and utter mockery of the game’ in an epic rant on talkSPORT.
It was a goalfest in the English top-flight this weekend, with 37 strikes across eight games, including three seven-goal thrillers.
But it wasn’t short of controversy, either, and McCoist was livid after seeing two ‘frankly embarrassing’ handball decisions that went against Manchester United and Tottenham.
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United got their new campaign off to the worst possible start in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, where former flop Wilfried Zaha came back to haunt his former side with two goals.
One of those came from the spot, after Victor Lindelof was penalised for the harshest of handball decisions.
The ball barely brushed the United defender’s arm, and the Swede wasn’t even looking in the direction of the ball, so there was no question it was accidental.
However, new rules brought in for the 2020/21 season state that any contact made with the hand or arm will result in a penalty or disallowed goal, no matter if it was intended or not.
The rules also stipulate that a player will be penalised for making their body ‘unnaturally bigger’ or having their arms in an ‘unnatural position’ when the ball strikes them.
Jordan Ayew stepped up for Palace but his spot kick was well saved by David de Gea. However, the penalty was ordered to be re-taken as VAR adjudged De Gea to have stepped off his line before diving to make the save – another new rule – and so Zaha instead stepped forward to score at the second attempt.
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Tottenham also fell foul of the same rule change during their 5-2 win over Southampton, as summer signing Matt Doherty was penalised when the ball flicked up off teammate Harry Winks and clipped his hand from mere yards away.
There was nothing he could have done about it, but a spot kick was given, with Danny Ings scoring his second of the game.
And McCoist told the talkSPORT Breakfast the new rule is ‘an absolute shambles and makes me angry’.
The co-host said: “I’m really annoyed at the new handball rule, because I just don’t think it’s fair.
“Players and coaches know what is and what isn’t a penalty, and there are penalties that are being given now that shouldn’t be anything like penalties.
“It’s got to get back to a bit of normality, because some of the decisions are frankly embarrassing.
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“I’m reading the new rule and it says ‘unnaturally bigger’ and all that kind of stuff… that’s another thing that drives me mental.
“Your arm would be in an unnatural position if it’s detached from your body 14 yards away in the penalty box… that’s an unnatural position!
“I’m sticking my hand up right now and it’s quite natural for me to do that… because I’m doing it!
“It’s nonsense!
“Just give the referee the responsibility to decide, is that player trying to gain an advantage? It’s as simple as that! And if he is, give a penalty!
“The decision to give Palace a penalty and then for them to retake it, it’s an absolute shambles and it makes me that angry.
“They’re taking decisions away from referees and making a complete and utter mockery of the game. It’s shocking.
“I tell you what I want them to do: just give the referee a simple decision – is that a deliberate handball? Has that player tried to seek an advantage by using his hand?
“Give the referee a wee bit of responsibility again, let him try and referee the game. They wont get it right all the time, of course they wont, that’s what happens.
“But make decisions that you believe are correct, don’t run over to the screen and be thinking Lindelof’s hand is there and Doherty’s hand is there… it’s not a penalty!
“They weren’t trying to seek an advantage, it’s accidental. They’ve taken the world accidental out of the new rule completely!”
Watch Ally’s brilliant rant on talkSPORT, above!
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