Overview
- An independent Regulatory Commission on Thursday upheld an FA charge that Aune Heggebo 'successfully deceived a match official' by handling the ball for West Brom’s opening goal, and imposed a two-match suspension.
- The goal in question stood in West Brom’s 2-1 win at Norwich after on-field officials missed the contact, a 15 August incident that triggered the FA’s retrospective charge.
- Heggebo will miss Sunday’s Championship home game against Burnley and the midweek Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle as a direct result of the ban.
- West Brom appealed the charge arguing the ball deflected off Norwich’s goalkeeper and left Heggebo under 0.1 seconds to react, and the club said it will write to the FA seeking written clarification on how players should be expected to respond to such deflections.
- The ruling is widely reported as likely the first of its kind under rule changes introduced before 2024/25 and has intensified debate over referee standards, retrospective discipline and whether the Championship should reconsider rejecting VAR.