A routine corner in Spain’s second division produced one of the season’s most confusing refereeing controversies. Mallorca’s players stopped after hearing referee Saúl Ais Reig blow his whistle, but the ball was already in play and ended up in their net. Granada’s goal was allowed to stand despite furious protests from the visiting team.

A restart nobody understands

According to A Bola’s report of the incident, the confusion occurred in the 80th minute with Granada leading 1-0. The home side took a corner immediately after a substitution, but Ais Reig had not yet signalled clearly for the match to resume. He then blew his whistle after the cross had already been delivered.

Several Mallorca players interpreted the whistle as another stoppage and immediately stopped defending. Granada continued the attack, and the ball was eventually diverted into the net by Mallorca’s Arnau Puigmal. The own goal was awarded and gave Granada a 2-0 lead.

The decision caused heated protests on the pitch and around the Mallorca bench. Álex Sala and Manu Morlanes were shown yellow cards, while staff member Luis Vicente de Miguel was sent off. Mallorca coach Luis García later accepted that referees can make mistakes but argued that this one should have been corrected immediately.

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Why the VAR could not intervene

The reason for the lack of a video review was described by Mundo Deportivo journalist Ramón Fuentes. The incident concerned the referee’s management of a restart, which falls outside the situations in which the VAR can intervene. It was therefore the responsibility of the on-field official to recognise the confusion and correct his own decision.

Fuentes reported that the referee should not have allowed the goal because his whistle had directly affected Mallorca’s reaction. The appropriate solution would have been to stop the sequence and organise the restart again. Once Ais Reig decided to award the goal, the video officials had no authority to overrule him on that specific procedural issue.

A mistake that becomes permanent

The limits of the VAR explain why the decision remained in place, but they do not make the decision correct. Video officials can review goals for fouls, handballs and offsides, yet they cannot repair every mistake made during the management of play. In this case, the person with the power to correct the error was the same referee who had caused the confusion.

Granada won the match 2-0, with the disputed own goal becoming the final score of the evening. Mallorca’s players had a legitimate reason to react to the whistle because footballers are trained to stop when the referee signals. A moment intended to restart the match instead became the incident that ended it.

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