{"id":5137,"date":"2026-04-06T05:10:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/?p=5137"},"modified":"2026-04-06T05:10:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:10:55","slug":"celtic-denied-again-var-overlooks-clear-handball-as-halliday-controversy-dominates-dens-park-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/2026\/04\/06\/celtic-denied-again-var-overlooks-clear-handball-as-halliday-controversy-dominates-dens-park-clash\/","title":{"rendered":"CELTIC DENIED AGAIN! VAR Overlooks Clear Handball as Halliday Controversy Dominates Dens Park Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Celtic may have walked away with all three points, but the real talking point from Dens Park is the controversy that has left fans searching for answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Sunday, April 5, 2026, Celtic narrowly defeated Dundee 2-1 in a closely fought Scottish Premiership encounter, with Hyun-Jun Yang\u2019s early strike making the difference. Yet, the match has been overshadowed by a contentious penalty incident that many believe was wrongly dismissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Moment Sparking Debate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Midway through the first half, Celtic winger Benjamin Nygren whipped a dangerous cross into the Dundee penalty area. The ball zipped across goal toward a threatening central zone before appearing to hit Dundee defender Brad Halliday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Replays indicate that Halliday\u2019s arm, initially in a natural position, moved toward the ball at a crucial moment. Many fans have labeled it a clear \u201chand to ball\u201d situation, arguing that the defender intentionally blocked the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the ball\u2019s path and the potential danger it posed, the controversy has only intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VAR in the Spotlight Again<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite strong protests from Celtic players, the referee allowed play to continue. Even more surprising was VAR\u2019s decision not to step in and review the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has triggered widespread frustration among supporters, with many questioning how such a significant moment could be ignored in an era where VAR is meant to correct obvious mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lack of intervention has further fueled concerns over inconsistent officiating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Divided Reaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The incident has split opinion across the football world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those convinced it was a penalty argue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The arm clearly moved toward the ball<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cross was heading into a dangerous area<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The action matches the criteria for deliberate handball<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Others defending the decision believe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The arm started in a natural position<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The movement may have been instinctive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The contact looked minimal at full speed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The debate once again highlights how subjective handball decisions remain, even with modern technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the Rules Say<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Under IFAB\u2019s Laws of the Game, a handball offence is awarded if a player:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deliberately handles the ball<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Makes their body unnaturally bigger<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uses their arm to block a promising attack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Although phrases like \u201chand to ball\u201d aren\u2019t officially defined, they are commonly used to judge intent \u2014 which lies at the heart of this controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Title Race Implications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While Celtic secured the win, the decision could have had a major impact on the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A penalty might have effectively sealed the game earlier, while Dundee remained in contention due to the non-call. In a tight title race, moments like these can prove crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The final score shows a Celtic victory, but the debate rages on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Celtic fans, it feels like another big decision has gone against them. For others, it\u2019s just another example of football\u2019s grey areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing is clear: even with VAR, controversy is never far away \u2014 and it continues to fuel the passion long after the final whistle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CELTIC DENIED AGAIN! VAR Overlooks Clear Handball as Halliday Controversy Dominates Dens Park Clash\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[918],"class_list":{"0":"post-5137","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-rangers-fc"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/164581.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5139,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions\/5139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legitsportnews.com.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}