Why Jude Bellingham England equaliser vs Norway should have been disallowed
- Jude Bellingham equalised for England against Norway, but his goal sparked controversy
- A little-known FIFA rule states play should stop if the ball strikes a camera cable
- FIFA later said its connected ball data showed no contact had been detected
Jude Bellingham rescued England with a first-half equaliser against Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals, but the goal quickly became the centre of controversy because of a little-known FIFA rule.
England had fallen behind after Andreas Schjelderup's cross found its way into Jordan Pickford's net midway through the opening half.
Source: Getty Images
While there were claims Harry Kane had been fouled in the build-up, referee Clement Turpin allowed the goal to stand.
Bellingham responded before the break with a brilliant individual effort, using his strength and close control to beat several defenders before calmly finishing from close range to make it 1-1.
However, attention soon turned to the build-up to England's equaliser.
Camera cable incident raises questions
Replays appeared to show Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland's goal kick clipping a camera cable before Elliot Anderson collected the ball and launched England's attack. Anderson found Anthony Gordon, who then set up Bellingham for the finish.
Under FIFA's Laws of the Game, play should restart with a dropped ball if the ball touches an outside object, including a camera cable. Because the incident occurred during the attacking phase that led directly to the goal, VAR could have intervened.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg explained during FOX's broadcast that the incident fell within VAR's reviewable criteria and should have been checked before the goal was confirmed.
Despite the protests, play resumed with the score level.
FIFA later explained that data from the connected match ball showed no spike from its internal sensor, indicating there was no recorded contact with the camera cable. As a result, officials allowed the goal to stand.
The incident added to ongoing debates over refereeing and VAR at the tournament, coming only days after another controversial review during Argentina's dramatic Round of 16 victory over Egypt.
Source: YEN.com.gh
