Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk’s opening goal in the Carabao Cup against final was disallowed against Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday.
At the hour-mark, Van Dijk was at the receiving end of Alexis Mac Allister’s free-kick, which he steered into the net, causing an explosion of celebration among the thousands of Liverpool fans in the stadium. However, after a VAR check, the goal was chalked out, restoring parity in the game, with the score 0-0.
Why was the Van Dijk’s goal ruled out?
The goal was examined by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and was initially called off. However, after the protests by the Reds on the field, the on-field referee Chris Kavanagh was advised to have a look at it again, on the monitor.
Endo (No. 3) seen obstructing No. 26 (Colwill) during Liverpool’s free-kick, which saw Van Dijk score. | Photo Credit: FanCode screengrab
Van Dijk’s goal was thus called off because Liverpool’s midfielder Wataru Endo was in an off-side position and had obstructed the defensive run of Levi Colwill. According to the modern rules of football, the obstruction ends up in a foul.
Which rule has the referee referred to in this case?
The referee referred to the ‘impending of progress rule’, which is clearly stated by the FA as follows:
Impeding the progress of an opponent means moving into the opponent’s path to obstruct, block, slow down or force a change of direction when the ball is not within playing distance of either player.
All players have a right to their position on the field of play; being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.
A player may shield the ball by taking a position between an opponent and the ball if the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent.
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