Why PSG's penalty against Newcastle would NOT have been given in the Premier League - but UEFA rejected a change for the Champions League, resulting in 20% more spot-kicks

UEFA rejected guidelines on the handball law from their board - including Zinedine Zidane and Paolo Maldini -  that would have disallowed PSG penalty that cost Newcastle a famous win.

The Magpies were up 1-0 minutes from the end of added time before their Parisian hosts were given the chance to level from the spot after Tino Livramento was deemed to have handled the ball in the PSG penalty area. 

A lengthy VAR review showed the ball first striking the defender's chest before ricocheting off his elbow, but after making the journey to the monitor referee Szymon Marciniak confirmed the penalty that was duly dispatched by Kylian Mbappe. 

UEFA's specific rulings around the handball law mean that although the result was widely derided by commentators and pundits alike, Marciniak's decision - whilst controversial - was influenced by stricter European regulations. 

But as per Telegraph Sport, a source with knowledge of Premier League officiating shared that the penalty would never have stood in England due to the positioning of the former Chelsea player's arm. 

'Arm positioning is key - it's natural. Off the chest and onto the elbow,' the source described. 'Not above the head or unexplainable by body position.'

Whilst deflection doesn't mean that penalties won't be given, the decision made by officials in the Premier League will come down to the position of the arm, in a nod to the law's ban on making the body 'unnaturally bigger'. 

At UEFA's Football Board's inaugural meeting at the organisation's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland in April, a more lenient position on officiating the handball rule akin to the guidelines followed by the Premier League was floated. 

The group - which features sporting luminaries including Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Capello, and Petr Cech - recommended 'unifying' the approach after English officials dropped stricter measures shortly after their introduction in 2020 after a wave of complaints from players and managers. 

Their guidance read: 'UEFA should clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal'. 

But according former top official Keith Hackett speaking to Telegraph Sport, Europe's governing body opted against modifying their position in light of the regulations. 

As per ESPN, UEFA's flagship competition has seen the highest number of handball penalties awarded across Europe's top-flight leagues by a staggering margin. 

Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, 46 were awarded in 197 games - or 0.234 per game, a frequency dwarfing the league with the next greatest number, LaLiga. 

The Spanish first division saw 57 in 518 games, equating to 0.110 per game, with the Bundesliga third with 0.099 handball penalties per game (41 handed out across 414 matches). 

The Premier League rank the lowest of the top-five leagues, with just 31 handball penalties awarded in 500 fixtures, equating to 0.062 per game, that's 17 per cent lower than the Champions League.  

Following the decision to award PSG a penalty - and the ensuing late equaliser at Parc des Princes - the backlash from figures across the game was swift and uproarious. 

Newcastle icon Alan Shearer took to social media to call the decision 'a load of s***', whilst his Match of the Day host Gary Lineker posted: 'How on earth is that a penalty for PSG. Ludicrous.'

TNT co-commentator Ally McCoist claimed 'we may as will give up the game' as the Rangers legend expressed frustration at the awarding of the penalty.

McCoist insisted that the decision was 'bordering on robbery' for Eddie Howe's side, and added: ‘That’s a shambles. Honestly, it is not on.'

Howe added to the debate by claiming that he thought the decision was 'poor' after the final whistle.

Yes, I do. In my opinion, it wasn’t the right decision,' the Newcastle head coach told reporters. 

‘What you don't take into account with those replays is how quick the ball goes. It hits his chest first and comes up and hits his hand. If it hits his hand first, it's still not a penalty, because he's so close. But you can make more of a case.

'It's not a penalty when it hits his chest first and then hits his hand, which is low. His hand is not in an unnatural position. He is running and they are in a running motion. I think it’s a poor decision and it’s hugely frustrating for us, because you know how little time is left.

‘I thought the referee was having a good game up until this moment,' Howe added. 'He had been strong. The pressure put on the referee by the crowd was extreme.’