Manchester United exit FA Cup on penalties but should Middlesbrough's equaliser have stood?

Middlesbrough's controversial equaliser against Manchester United sparked debate. Should it have been disallowed for handball? United's interim boss Ralf Rangnick was adamant the goal should not have stood, while even Chris Wilder was surprised it wasn't chalked off by VAR...

Middlesbrough midfielder Matt Crooks cancelled out Jadon Sancho's opener in the second half of a fourth-round tie which Boro went on to win 8-7 on penalties, after Duncan Watmore had clearly handled the ball in the build up to the equalising goal.

However, referee Anthony Taylor allowed Crooks' 64th-minute strike to stand due to a rule change brought in this season which states that a player cannot be penalised for an accidental handball preceding a goal unless he scores the goal himself.

For the goal to have been disallowed, Watmore's handball would have had to have been deemed deliberate, or his arm position deemed not justifiable by his movement.

What did the managers say?

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick: "How can it be accidental if he controls the ball up in the air with his hand? It was clear it should not stand but in the end I was really surprised it stood."

Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder: "We rode our luck and took our chances. The decisions that are made through VAR have changed since I left the Premier League - I thought straight away it was handball. I thought it would be chalked out and delighted it wasn't."

What did the player say?

Middlesbrough forward Duncan Watmore: "It was completely accidental the handball. Amazing to make a difference and set up Crooksy. Me and Crooksy were in a United age group team together here - so it is even more special."

What about the pundits?

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Sky Sports' Roy Keane to ITV Sport:

"It's accidental. They are the rules and you have to take that little bit of luck on the night."

How did Twitter react?

What is the new handball law?

It is a handball offence if a player:

• deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball;
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player's body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised; or
• scores in the opponents' goal:
  • - directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper; or
  • - immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.

Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.

What was the previous law?

Before the law change came into effect last summer, a player was penalised for handball if:

• The hand/arm was clearly away from the body and outside the "body line".
• The player clearly leans into the path of the ball.
• The ball travels some distance.
• The ball touches a hand/arm that is clearly raised above the shoulder.
• The player falls and the hand/arm is extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
• A deflection clearly makes no difference to the ball touching a hand/arm that is clearly extended away from the body and/or above the shoulder.
• Immediately after touching the ball with the arm, even accidentally, the player scores a goal or creates a goal-scoring opportunity.

Under the previous law, an accidental handball by an attacking player was only penalised if it occurs "immediately" before a goal or clear goal-scoring opportunity.

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