Former referee explains why Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford saw equaliser at Crystal Palace ruled out by VAR

FORMER Premier League referee Peter Walton says Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford was offside through the new handball law in explaining the game's latest VAR mystery at Crystal Palace.
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Whites no 9 Bamford looked to have put United level with a neat chipped finish in the 17th minute of Saturday's Premier League clash at Selhurst Park after being played in by a precise Mateusz Klich through ball.

VAR then intervened to check Bamford had not been offside and replays showed that the forward's feet were clearly in an onside position when Klich released his pass.

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Bamford, though, was adjudged to have been offside due to the striker's outstretched arm pointing to where he wanted United's Polish midfielder to play the ball.

DENIED: Striker Patrick Bamford chips Vicente Guaita to seemingly put Leeds United level in Saturday's clash at Crystal Palace, only to see the strike disallowed following a VAR check for offside. Photo by Glyn Kirk - Pool/Getty Images.DENIED: Striker Patrick Bamford chips Vicente Guaita to seemingly put Leeds United level in Saturday's clash at Crystal Palace, only to see the strike disallowed following a VAR check for offside. Photo by Glyn Kirk - Pool/Getty Images.
DENIED: Striker Patrick Bamford chips Vicente Guaita to seemingly put Leeds United level in Saturday's clash at Crystal Palace, only to see the strike disallowed following a VAR check for offside. Photo by Glyn Kirk - Pool/Getty Images.

The goal was consequently chalked off and Palace then doubled their lead five minutes later through Eberechi Eze's stunning free-kick en route to a 4-1 victory.

"Unfortunately Patrick Bamford has been caught offside there on the new interpretation of the handball law," explained Walton on BT Sport.

"The handball law includes that t-shirt area of your body where you can't be accused of handball.

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"In this instance here where he is pointing, his arm has gone outstretched and the line has been drawn where you draw the line against his t-shirt and therefore he can be adjudged to have been offside because you can score with your t-shirt part of your arm.

"Any part of your body that you can score from is offside so unfortunately for Patrick Bamford there he has been caught with the new interpretation of the handball law."

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Thank you Laura Collins

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