Heggebo gets two-match ban for handball goal
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- Aune Heggebo became the first player charged under the FA's 'deception of a match official' rule (introduced 2017-18) after scoring with his hand in West Brom's 2-1 Championship win at Norwich on the season's opening day, and was banned for two matches on Thursday.
- The two-match ban rules Heggebo out of West Brom's home fixture against Burnley on Sunday and the Carabao Cup second-round tie at Newcastle United next Wednesday (19:45 BST).
- West Brom argued the ball deflected off Norwich goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic, leaving Heggebo with 'less than 0.1 of a second' to react, and have said they will write to the FA seeking clarification on what players should reasonably do in similar situations.
- The Championship has no Video Assistant Referees, and BBC Sport reports that EFL clubs rejected introducing VAR for 2026-27 in April, meaning incidents like this can only be reviewed retrospectively — if at all.
- Ref Support UK chief executive Martin Cassidy welcomed the ban and wants the deception rule enforced more throughout the 2026-27 season to stamp out players deceiving officials.
- Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport the outcome will 'make players think twice about punching the ball into the back of the net,' while ex-West Brom midfielder Richard Sneekes called the charge 'absolute nonsense.'
Why it matters: Heggebo's two-match suspension is the first successful use of an FA deception rule that's sat on the books since 2017-18, setting a precedent that may push future players to voluntarily report accidental handball goals. The incident also highlights a structural gap: without VAR in the Championship, accidental or not, the only mechanism for justice is retrospective punishment that penalizes the scorer rather than addressing the officiating failure that let the goal stand.
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