“For me, this is never a penalty,” Jonathan Lardot declared, rejecting one of the tenth matchday’s most contentious calls in his weekly analysis for broadcaster DAZN. The head of the Belgian refereeing department delivered a mixed verdict on the Jupiler Pro League weekend, publicly addressing a series of officiating decisions that drew widespread debate. While some calls were technically correct under current regulations, others fell short of expectations.
Kortrijk penalty: “Correct” under the letter of the law
Lardot defended the penalty awarded to KV Kortrijk against Standard, a decision overseen by referee Bram Van Driessche. Though the call was unpopular, Lardot noted that the player had a clear view of the ball and his arm was positioned away from his body. “If we follow the regulations, this is a correct penalty,” Lardot stated, adding that while officials dislike penalizing such instances, they are bound by the current rules even when they personally disagree with the outcome.
STVV handball against OH Leuven: VAR should have intervened
The officiating department head offered a different assessment regarding the penalty awarded to STVV against OH Leuven, which followed a handball claim against Ewoud Pletinckx. Lardot stated that the incident should not have resulted in a penalty, arguing that Pletinckx was performing a natural movement to maintain balance after jumping.
🤔 | Moet de handspelregel opnieuw veranderen? 💭 pic.twitter.com/N5JXNQS6XY
Charleroi referee maintains call despite VAR review
Lardot also analyzed the penalty awarded to Charleroi in their match against La Louvière. In this instance, referee Erik Lambrechts was called to the screen by the VAR but chose to maintain his original decision. Lardot expressed dissatisfaction with this outcome, noting that the contact with the opponent’s foot was minimal and lacked significant impact on the play. He concluded that he would have preferred for the referee to follow the VAR’s guidance in that specific situation.
Antwerp defender Van Helden correctly stays on the pitch
Beyond the handball controversies, Lardot addressed disciplinary matters from the weekend’s fixtures. He confirmed his agreement with the decision not to send off Antwerp defender Rein Van Helden during the match against Cercle Brugge.
The analysis provided by the refereeing department serves as a regular checkpoint for the league, as officials continue implementing VAR protocols and the evolving interpretation of hand-ball rules in professional football.
Related reading
