It was the kind of incident that leaves players, coaches and supporters rubbing their eyes in disbelief — and yet the laws of the game were unambiguous. Arsenal defender Leah Williamson's inadvertent handball during Wednesday's Women's Champions League clash with Paris FC in the French capital was correctly punished with a penalty, however strange it looked on the pitch.

What actually happened?

Arsenal led 2-1 late in the match when goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez played a short, sharp pass to Williamson rather than taking the goal-kick herself. Williamson, anticipating that she would be the one to kick the ball back into play, stretched out her arm to stop it and place it for the restart. What she had not registered was that Rodriguez's pass — once the ball came to rest on the field of play inside the goal area — constituted the goal-kick itself under the laws. The kick had, in effect, already been taken.

Referee Iuliana Demetrescu awarded a penalty, which Maeline Mendy converted to make it 2-2. Arsenal dropped two points they had looked certain to secure, leaving them fourth in the Women's Champions League table rather than second.

Why is the penalty legally correct?

The International Football Association Board's Law 16 is explicit on this point. It states that once the ball is stationary within the goal area and is kicked by any defending player, the goal-kick is deemed to have been taken. From that moment, the ball is live. Law 12 then applies: deliberately touching the ball with the hand or arm inside one's own penalty area results in a penalty being awarded to the opposition. Williamson's action — however understandable in context — satisfied both conditions.

Arsenal's assistant coach Aaron D'Antino acknowledged the difficulty of the situation while accepting the learning point. He noted that the intention had always been for Williamson to take the restart, and suggested the club would look at how Rodriguez delivers the ball to avoid placing a teammate in the same position again.

It has happened before — twice at Arsenal's expense

Remarkably, this is not even the first time the scenario has caused controversy involving the Gunners. Earlier in 2024, Arsenal centre-back Gabriel made a near-identical error in a Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich, though on that occasion the referee allowed a retake rather than awarding a penalty — a decision Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, now England head coach, publicly criticised as incorrect.

In November 2024, Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings repeated the mistake in the Champions League against Club Brugge. Hans Vanaken converted the resulting penalty and Brugge won the match 1-0. Villa manager Unai Emery described it as the biggest mistake he had witnessed in his managerial career.

The emotional reaction is understandable — but the call stands

Former Arsenal and Scotland defender Jen Beattie was visibly frustrated, arguing on Paramount+ that the referee had got the decision wrong and that Williamson's intent was obvious to anyone watching. That sympathy is entirely human. Williamson is a composed, experienced player who was simply trying to organise a routine restart in the way Arsenal always do it.

But intent, in this case, is not the deciding factor. The laws do not require a player to be attempting to deceive anyone; the act of touching the ball with the hand while it is in play inside one's own penalty area is sufficient. The market had Arsenal as favourites to take maximum points from the tie, and the manner of the equaliser will sting all the more for its preventability.

The episode serves as a sharp reminder — not just for Arsenal, but for every team at every level — that the laws around goal-kick restarts are stricter than many players instinctively assume. Once the ball moves, it is live. That understanding now needs to be drilled into every goalkeeper and defender who takes part in a short restart.

Frequently asked

Why was Leah Williamson given a penalty for handball against Paris FC?
When Arsenal goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez played a short pass to Williamson inside the goal area, that pass counted as the goal-kick being taken under Law 16. The ball was therefore live, and when Williamson stopped it with her hand, it was correctly penalised as deliberate handball in her own penalty area.
Has this goal-kick handball mistake happened before in the Champions League?
Yes — twice in recent memory. Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings made an identical error against Club Brugge in November 2024, and Arsenal's Gabriel did the same against Bayern Munich earlier that year, though in Gabriel's case a retake was incorrectly given instead of a penalty.
Where does Arsenal's Women's Champions League result leave them in the table?
The 2-2 draw with Paris FC leaves Arsenal fourth in the Women's Champions League table after two games. A win would have moved them up to second place.