Explanations from the Cyprus Referee Commitee, regarding to the Referees team decisions from the 21th round of Cyprus Cyta Championship. 

The situations which are explained, are only situations in which  VAR correctly or incorrectly intervened or did not  intervened, or did not intervene, in relation to the referees decision, according to the VAR protocol. 

AKRITAS – KARMIOTISSA, 24th minute
REF INITIAL DECISION: CORNER KICK
VAR: VAR INTERVENTION , ON FIELD REVIEW – PENALTY KICK- HANDBALL
REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW: PENALTY KICK
EXPLANATION: THE BALL COMES FROM THE LONG DISTANCE. ATTACKER PLAYER  AND    DEFENDER PLAYER TRYING TO PLAYED  THE BALL.  BUT  ATTACKER  DID NOT TOUCHED THE BALL WITH HIS  HEAD,  AND THE BALL CLEARLY HITS THE DEFENDER  ARM WHICH  WAS   OUT OF THE BODY IN UNATURAL POSITION. THE BALL GOES OUT OF THE FIELD. REFEREE FROM HIS POSITION   DID NOT SEE CLEARLY THIS SITUATION AND AWARDED THE CORNER KICK . VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION, FOUND THE CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR HANDBALL OFFENCE AND INTERVENED ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL, CORRECTLY. REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW CHANGED THE DECISION CORRECTLY.
CONSIDERATION FOR  VAR  INTERVENTION:
-THE PLAYER TAKES A RISK  TO PUT HIS  ARM  IN THE POSITION TO BEING PENALISED IF THE HAND BEING HIT BY THE BALL
-ARM  OUT  OF THE BODY MADE A BODY BIGGER
-HAND IN UNNATURAL POSITION
-BALL CLEARLY  HITS THE  ARM 

VIDEO ΑΡΗΣ - ΚΑΡΜΙΩΤΙΣΣΑ, 24ο λεπτό

NEA SALAMINA – AEL, 2nd minute
REF INITIAL DECISION:  PLAY ON
VAR: VAR INTERVENTION, ON FIELD REVIEW / PENALTY KICK- HANDBALL
REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW: PENALTY KICK
EXPLANATION: THE BALL COMES FROM THE LONG DISTANCE. ATTACKER PLAYER   TRYING TO PLAYED THE BALL   BUT    DID NOT TOUCHED THE BALL WITH HEAD.  DEFENDER PLAYER  WHO WAS BEHIND THE ATTACKER  CLEARLY HITS   THE BALL  WITH  HIS HAND WHICH  WAS   OUT OF THE BODY IN UNATURAL POSITION. REFEREE FROM HIS POSITION   DID NOT SEE CLEARLY THIS SITUATION. VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION, FOUND THE CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR HANDBALL OFFENCE AND INTERVENED ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL, CORRECTLY. REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW CHANGED THE DECISION CORRECTLY.
CONSIDERATION FOR  VAR  INTERVENTION:
-THE PLAYER TAKES A RISK  TO PUT  HIS  ARM  IN THE POSITION TO BEING PENALISED IF THE HAND BEING HIT BY THE BALL
-HAND IN UNNATURAL POSITION
-PLAYER HITS THE BALL WITH HIS  HAND 

VIDEO ΝΕΑ ΣΑΛΑΜΙΝΑ - ΑΕΛ, 2ο λεπτό

APOLLON – OLIMPIAKOS, 87th minute
REF INITIAL DECISION: PENALTY KICK 
VAR: VAR INTERVENTION / VAR REVIEW/ CANSELLED THE PENALTY KICK /  INDIRECT FREE KICK – OFFSIDE IN APP
REFEREE AFTER VAR REVIEW: CANSELLED THE  PENALTY KICK – INDIRECT FREE KICK 
EXPLANATION:  ASSISTANT REFEREE FOLLOWED THE OFFSIDE VAR  PROCEDURE, DELAY THE FLAG IN THE VERY TIGHT SITUATION AND  DECIDED TO PLAY ON. AFTER THAT IN THE PENALTY AREA , DEFENDER PLAYER  PULLS THE ATTACKER`S ARM AND KNOCKS HIM DOWN. REFEREE AWARDED THE PENALTY KICK, CORRECTLY. VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION, CONFIRMED THE PENALTY DECISION AND CHECKED THE POSSIBLE OFFSIDE OFFENCE IN APP. VAR  PERFORMED THE OFFSIDE LINE PROCEDURE CORRECTLY, AND USING  TRIANGULATION METHOD CORRECT SOLUTION OBTAINED BY SOFTER. VAR INTERVENED  ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL ,CORRECTLY. REFEREE AFTER VAR REVIEW CHANGED THE DECISION , CORRECTLY.

VIDEO ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ 87ο λεπτό

OMONOIA – PAFOS F.C., 40th minute
REF INITIAL DECISION: PLAY ON
VAR: VAR COMFIRMATION – NO VAR INTERVENTION
EXPLANATION: ATTACKER PLAYER KICK THE BALL IN THE DEFENDER`S ARM, WHICH WAS IN NATURAL POSITION, CLOSE TO THE BODY. REFEREE CLEARLY SAW THE SITUATION AND DECIDED TO PLAY ON, CORRECTLY. VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION FOUND A CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR  NO HANDBALL OFFENCE AND DID NOT INTERVENED CORECTLY ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL.
CONSIDERATION FOR NO VAR  INTERVENTION:
-ARM CLOSE TO THE BODY
-ARM IN NATURAL POSITION
-THE ARM DOES NOT MAKE A BODY BIGGER

VIDEO ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ - ΠΑΦΟΣ, 40ο λεπτό

E.N.P – ARIS, 22nd minute
REF INITIAL DECISION: GOAL  
VAR: VAR INTERVENTION / ON FIELD REVIEW CANSELLED THE GOAL   - DIRECT FREE KICK / ATTACKER HANDBALL IN APP
REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW: CANSELLED THE GOAL / DIRECT FREE KICK 
EXPLANATION: REFEREE MISSED THAT ARIS PLAYER No ( 21) IN RECEVEING THE BALL HE PLAYED WITH HIS ARM AFTER WHICH HE PASSED THE BALL  TO HIS TEAMMATE WHO SCORE THE GOAL. REFEREE AWARDED THE GOAL.  VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION , FOUND THE CLEAR EVIDENCE FOR HANDBALL OFFENCE IN APP AND  INTERVENED ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL ,CORRECTLY. REFEREE AFTER ON FIELD REVIEW CHANGED THE DECISION , CORRECTLY

VIDEO ΕΝΠ - ΑΡΗΣ, 22ο λεπτό

E.N.P – ARIS, 90th minute
REF INITIAL DECISION: PENALTY KICK - YELLOW CARD
VAR: VAR COMFIRMATION
EXPLANATION: ATTACKER PLAYER GETS THE BALL AND   HAD A CLEAR POSSESION OF THE BALL MOVING TOWARDS IN THE PENALTY AREA IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GOAL. DEFENDER PLAYER WHO WAS BEHIND HIM, TRIED TO PLAY THE BALL  BUT NOT TOUCHING THE BALL AND TRIPPING THE ATTACKER WITH HIS FOOT, BECAUSE OF WHICH THE ATTACKER FALLS . REFEREE AWARDED THE PENALTY KICK AND SHOW A YELLOW CARD, CORRECTLY. VAR CHECKED THE SITUATION  AND CONFIRMED THE REFEREE DECISION ACCORDING TO THE VAR PROTOCOL, CORRECTLY.
Consideration for no RED CARD:
-Denies opponent an obvious goal – scoring opportunity ( DOGSO) by an  offence which  was an attempt to play the ball  in the penalty area

VIDEO ΕΝΠ - ΑΡΗΣ, 90ο λεπτό