DFB concedes two refereeing errors in Dortmund-Frankfurt match
The German FA has released an official statement on four refereeing decisions made by Robert Schröder and the refereeing team responsible for Sunday's 3-3 draw between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund.
| Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
A handball penalty awarded to Eintracht in the 7th minute enabled SGE striker Omar Marmoush to open up the scoring from the spot in the 8th. The DFB announced on Monday that BVB fullback Marius Wolf's arm was not in an unnatural position. In a classic case of "the ball playing the hand", Wolf's handball should not have been punished. DFB rules expert Peter Sippel clearly conceded the error in a statement.
"The fact that the left arm swings outwards in the lunging movement is to be regarded as natural, so there is no unnatural enlargement of the body," Sippel's DFB statement reads, "Wolf also does not act intentionally or negligently. Therefore, the handball is not punishable."
The DFB also noted that an incident in the 36th minute should have resulted in a penalty for Frankfurt. BVB back-up keeper Alexander Meyer - on for the injured Gregor Kobel - tripped Marmoush up in the penalty area. Schröder and the VAR team reviewed the scene, yet still decided against the penalty. Sippel made clear that this was incorrect.
"Here, however, a penalty kick would have been the correct decision," Sippel's statement noted, "as the pictures prove foul play by Meyer on Marmoush."
Regarding two other decisions - Niclas Füllkrug's offside position on Youssoufa Moukoko's 2-2 in the 54th and Schröder's decision not to award a penalty in second half injury time for a Nico Schlotterbeck hold on Hugo Larsson in the box - Sippel noted that such instances fell within the realm of "subjective interpretation". Both non-calls, and the decision of the VAR team not to intervene, were therefore "acceptable".
