Ho calls for more support and full-time WSL referees after penalty controversy
Tottenham boss Martin Ho questioned a penalty awarded to Arsenal in their 2-1 derby defeat and said WSL referees need more support and training.
Tottenham manager Martin Ho has called for greater support, more training and more full-time officials for Women's Super League referees after a disputed penalty decided his side's 2-1 derby defeat by Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Alessia Russo converted the spot-kick in the 56th minute to settle the match.
Referee Phoebe Cross awarded the penalty after Lisa Baum's shot came back off the post and Cathinka Tandberg's clearance struck the outstretched hand of Spurs team-mate Ella Morris. Ho argued that under the laws, a ball hitting a hand after being played by a team-mate should result in an indirect free-kick, and said the time and distance involved had not been taken into account.
The Tottenham boss said he had raised the same point at a pre-season referees' meeting and received no explanation on the pitch, adding that he intended to speak to officials afterwards to understand their view and that the decision was frustrating because he felt it fell outside the laws. He acknowledged referees have a hard job but said standards had got worse than last year.
Ho pointed to wider structural issues, noting the WSL currently uses neither VAR nor goal-line technology and that not all officials are full-time. He said the wait for full-time referees was reportedly set to continue until 2029, and argued that an elite referee working as an assistant for such a big game should have been placed in the middle. He also complained that Spurs received two first-half bookings while Arsenal players escaped punishment for shirt-pulling.
BBC Sport has contacted WSL Football for a response.
