Rizzoli: Referee Correct to Deny Dynamo Penalty

Rizzoli: Referee Correct to Deny Dynamo Penalty AI

UAF chief refereeing expert Nicola Rizzoli said the referee and VAR were right not to award a penalty after the ball struck Dynamo Kyiv defender Volodymyr Brazhko's hand in the Ukrainian Premier League match with Zorya on 4 October 2026. Play continued and a corner followed. Explains a contentious decision from Dynamo Kyiv’s UPL match with Zorya and why the contact was judged not to be a punishable handball.

Nicola Rizzoli, the Ukrainian Association of Football’s lead refereeing expert, reviewed a disputed handball involving Dynamo Kyiv defender Volodymyr Brazhko during Dynamo’s Ukrainian Premier League game with Zorya. Rizzoli said the referee was correct not to point to the spot after the ball hit Brazhko’s hand.

Rizzoli explained the player’s hand was close to his body in a natural position and did not move toward the ball or unnaturally increase the body’s surface. Although contact was clear, he said it did not meet the criteria for a handball offence. The referee allowed play to continue and awarded a corner after the sequence; VAR checked the incident and supported the on-field decision.

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