The Spanish newspaper "Marca" highlighted the refereeing controversy that occurred in the match between Real Madrid and Real Betis within the framework of the Spanish League competitions on Friday evening.
Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Real Betis in the fourth round of the 2026/27 Spanish League season at La Cartuja Stadium.
Real Madrid was awarded a penalty kick in the 92nd minute, which Kylian Mbappé took, but the Real Betis goalkeeper successfully saved it.
Real Madrid demanded a retake of Kylian Mbappé's penalty, arguing that the opposing player, Marc Bartra, had entered the penalty area before the kick was taken. The referee, after consulting VAR, rejected this request.
The Spanish newspaper "Marca" stated that the referee's decision was correct, based on the principles established by the Referees Technical Committee and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for the 2026/27 season.
It clarified that the rule stipulates an infringement occurs if a player, other than the kicker or the goalkeeper, enters the penalty area, the penalty arc, or positions themselves in front of the ball before the penalty kick is taken.
However, early entry does not necessarily require referee intervention; a sanction is only imposed in such cases if the offending player directly affects the kick or participates in play afterward.
If the offending player is a defender, an infringement is called when their early entry clearly affects the penalty taker, or when they play the ball or challenge an opponent for it after a rebound, thereby preventing a goal, a goal-scoring attempt, or the creation of a scoring opportunity.
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If the offending player is an attacker, an infringement is called when their position clearly affects the goalkeeper, or when they play the ball or challenge for it after a rebound, score a goal, attempt to score, or create a scoring opportunity.
The rule states that the nature of the infringement and how play resumes depend on the identity of the offending player, the outcome of the penalty kick, and the impact of the early entry on subsequent play.
To determine whether a player entered the penalty area prematurely, the position of their feet or any other part of the body touching the ground at the exact moment the ball is kicked is considered. An infringement is identified if one or both feet are inside the area or on the boundary line, including the penalty arc. Parts of the body suspended in the air or their vertical projection onto the pitch are not taken into account.
The International Football Association Board stipulated that the projection of the body is only considered if both feet are off the ground, as the term "in the air" applies only when the entire body is elevated above the ground.
The newspaper concluded that in Marc Bartra's case, one of his feet was touching the ground, meaning the aforementioned conditions could not be met, and therefore there was no justification for retaking the penalty kick.