Little-Known Rule Saved Ipswich Goalkeeper Alex Palmer From Red Card vs Wolves

Ipswich Town goalkeeper Alex Palmer was saved from being shown a red card courtesy of a little-known rule during his side’s 2-1 Premier League home defeat to Wolves on Saturday afternoon. The 28-year-old was at the centre of controversy when he used his hand to clear a back-pass off the line.

The Tractor Boys were 1-0 up at the time during the crucial relegation battle fixture, and the away supporters were miffed as to why he was not dismissed by referee Peter Bankes. Instead, he awarded an indirect free-kick. Watch the incident below:

Kieran McKenna’s side – who later went on to lose 2-1 in their struggle to beat the drop zone -passed the ball back to Palmer, but he miscontrolled the ball. It was about to roll over the line before the stopper chased back and scooped it up with his hands inside 34 minutes. However, the rules state that Palmer’s actions didn’t even warrant a caution.

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Why Alex Palmer Wasn’t Sent Off Against Wolves

It’s down to a little-known rule

Despite the confusion among Wolves supporters, the rules state that Palmer’s handball isn’t a bookable offence. This comes after some high-profile names in football called out the rule for not giving the opposition enough of an advantage. See post below:

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) who set the laws of the game, state that if a goalkeeper handles a backpass, “an indirect free kick is awarded and no card is shown.” The FA’s guidance is also clear: “If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded, but there is no disciplinary sanction.”

Palmer was not booked for handling the ball, but was cautioned for encroachment before the free-kick was taken. While many supporters remain miffed over the decision not to send the goalkeeper off, the ruling didn’t change the outcome of the match on this occasion, and Ipswich now have just seven games left to overcome a deficit of 12 points if they are to have any hopes of surviving relegation.

Above them are Wolves, who will now likely feel they’ve done what it takes to ply their trade in the Premier League again next term after sacking Gary O’Neil and replacing him with Vitor Pereira earlier in the campaign. They are currently on a run of three wins on the spin.