Halfway through the Eredivisie top clash between Feyenoord and AZ, the score is 1-0, but the most striking moment came just before half-time. Referee Danny Makkelie awarded AZ a penalty, but was then called back by the VAR. On De Eretribune on ESPN, there are doubts about whether that decision was correct.
Gjivai Zechiel's backpass fell short and Tjark Ernst tried to put out the fire, but the alert Mexx Meerdink got there in between and then went down eagerly. Makkelie pointed to the spot, only to overturn his decision after advice from the VAR.
"I don't think it's a penalty," Been says on ESPN. "We saw twenty replays and we still couldn't see whether it was a penalty, or whether Meerdink was touched. Makkelie was called to the screen, and how long did he spend looking at those replays?"
That last point is exactly why Kees Kwakman believes Makkelie's on-field decision should have stood. "If it is not a clear error, the decision made on the field should stand. In this case, that is a penalty," is his verdict.
To back up his point, Kwakman refers to the KNVB regulations, which follow IFAB's international VAR protocol. It states that the VAR may only intervene in the event of a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident.
Under those rules, if the referee's decision is debatable but not clearly wrong, the original call should in principle stand. Erwin Blank, the VAR at Feyenoord - AZ, must therefore have been fully convinced that it was absolutely not a penalty for the Alkmaar side.
"I do think Meerdink is caught on his foot, by the way," Kwakman continues. "Whether that is also the reason why he falls, I do wonder. But I don't think you can say here after 52 replays that he is not touched. I don't think Makkelie is happy that he was called to the screen for this," he concludes.