UEFA has recently provided concrete evidence affirming that referee Anthony Taylor handled the controversial handball incident involving Marc Cucurella correctly during the Germany vs. Spain quarter-final match.

The incident, which occurred during extra time, saw Jamal Musiala’s shot hitting Marc Cucurella’s arm inside the penalty box. However, referee Anthony Taylor and the VAR team did not award a penalty to Germany, who subsequently suffered a bitter defeat and were eliminated from Euro 2024.

Following the match, the reaction from experts, media, and the public was overwhelmingly skeptical, questioning, and harshly criticizing the English referee and the VAR team for not awarding a penalty. UEFA has now provided a clear explanation with specific evidence.

The organization stated that, before this year’s Euro, referees were given detailed guidelines on how to assess “deliberate and accidental handball.” Specific graphics illustrating the angles between the arm and the body were introduced by UEFA’s head of referees, Roberto Rosetti, to help referees accurately identify handball offenses.

According to the graphic presented by UEFA, if the arm is hanging down vertically and positioned behind the body’s horizontal line, creating an angle of 45 degrees or less, it is considered a “natural position, not a deliberate attempt to handle the ball.”

Based on UEFA’s graphic and explanation, Marc Cucurella’s situation was “entirely natural,” and referee Anthony Taylor, along with the VAR team, was correct in denying Germany a penalty during the sensitive period of extra time.

Immediately after the incident, referee Taylor made gestures indicating that Cucurella’s arm was straight down and close to his body. Therefore, he firmly rejected the penalty appeals and any request to review the incident with the VAR team from the German players.

UEFA’s latest statement confirms that the referee adhered to the rules regarding handball offenses. Moreover, this regulation explains why players in the 16-meter area often keep their arms close to their bodies to block shots, rather than deliberately placing their hands behind their backs as they did in the past.