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Penalties
Clear Line

Penalties

Penalty area incidents cover several common situations: handball, holding, pushing, shirt pulling, tripping, stepping on the foot, simulation, who played the ball first, and actions by goalkeepers. We examine what referees must consider in their decision-making, and where VAR should intervene if required.
Overview Handball Holding / pushing Tripping Stepping on foot Who played the ball? Goalkeepers Simulation Overview Handball Holding / pushing Tripping Stepping on foot Who played the ball? Goalkeepers Simulation

Stepping on foot

If a defender steps on an attacker's foot inside the penalty area, referees must assess the intensity of contact and whether this inhibits the attacking player's actions.

  • VAR should recommend a penalty where a defender steps on the attacker’s foot with intensity or force or in a way that impacts their ability to play or challenge for the ball.
  • VAR should recommend cancelling a penalty where there is foot-to-foot contact without a clear impact or where the attacker exaggerates the effect of a partial or light step.
  • If the extent of contact is not clear and obvious, VAR should not intervene.

The rationale

Feet are constantly making contact in a crowded penalty area so a defender stepping on an attacker’s foot is often incidental. To distinguish between an offence and a natural coming together, the referee must assess how firmly the foot was planted and what the attacker was prevented from doing.

What referees consider when making a decision

  • Was there a clear or only partial step on the attacker's foot?
  • What was the intensity and speed of the action?
  • What was the impact on the attacker's movement and ability to continue their movement?

✅ When VAR should recommend a penalty

VAR reviews the footage and recommends the referee looks again if:

  • a defender steps on the attacker's foot, impacting their ability to play or challenge for the ball. (Video 1)
  • a defender steps on the attacker's foot with intensity or force. (Video 2)

Video 1 – Stepping on foot: Clear impact on attacker's ability to play the ball
Video 2 – Stepping on foot: High intensity or force

✅ When VAR should recommend cancelling a penalty

The protocol works both ways, meaning the review can also show that a penalty should not stand if:

  • there is foot-to-foot contact without a clear impact on the attacker. (Video 3)
  • the defender clearly plays the ball and any subsequent contact is accidental and a natural consequence of the challenge. (Video 4)
  • an attacker exaggerates the effect of a partial or light step on the foot to fall, with no clear relationship between the contact and the fall.

Video 3 – Stepping on foot: Foot-to-foot contact without clear impact on opponent
Video 4 – Stepping on foot: Defender clearly plays ball and later makes accidental contact

❌ When VAR should not intervene

  • if the extent of contact is not clear.
  • if it is difficult to assess the impact of the contact.

A decision standing after a check is not VAR failing to act. It means VAR has found no clear and obvious error to correct.