Why penalty for Williamson handball was correct call

What the report says

Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Paris FC in the Women’s Champions League after a late and unusual handball call against defender Leah Williamson. BBC Sport reported that the incident happened in Wednesday’s match in Paris when Arsenal goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez took a quick goal-kick and Williamson then used her hand to stop the moving ball, apparently believing the restart had not yet been taken.

The referee awarded a penalty, which Maeline Mendy converted to level the score. The result left Arsenal fourth in the early Champions League standings after two games, when a win would have moved them up to second. The article said the decision matched the laws of the game, because once a goal-kick is properly taken and the ball is in play, a deliberate handball inside the penalty area can be punished with a spot-kick.

BBC Sport also noted that similar restart confusion has caused controversy before in European competition, including an identical error by Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings in 2024. Arsenal assistant coach Aaron D’Antino said the team would treat the moment as a learning point, while former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie argued the referee had misread the situation. The episode matters because it cost Arsenal two points in a competitive group-stage match and highlighted how precise restart rules can affect high-level games.