West Ham boss David Moyes believes the International Football Association Board (IFAB) should be looking at changing the handball law.
Moyes made the suggestion after his side were denied an injury-time equaliser against Sheffield United on Friday night.
Behind to Oli McBurnie’s goal at the start of the second half, the Hammers thought they had snatched a last-gasp draw when Robert Snodgrass squeezed a low shot between a post and goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
However, the goal was referred to VAR and replays showed that the ball had been headed against Declan Rice’s arm from point-blank range by Blades defender John Egan in the build up.
Under the new handball laws introduced this season, it was the correct decision. But Moyes felt the goal should have stood while Rice called the decision “absolutely crazy”.
Jamie Carragher said it was “embarrassing” during his match commentary for Sky Sports and even Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder expressed “sympathy” for West Ham.
It all provides support for Moyes’ claim that there is a movement to change the handball rule and when asked if IFAB should discuss doing so at their annual meeting on February 29 in Belfast, he said: “I think they do.
“We need to try and get them to change this ruling. We aren’t comfortable with it and at the moment there is a big campaign to try and change this ruling.
“There are lots of things we are not comfortable with. There is part of it where it can hit another defender’s arm and it won’t be a penalty.
“I could argue it wasn’t even in the same phase. Declan broke through, then it hit his arm, then he went on again, then there were three defenders behind the ball. We’ve been very unlucky there.
“I would be surprised if there wasn’t people in IFAB that weren’t ex-managers or ex-players but it looks like it is a law that nobody is really enjoying that much.”
