LAST week I looked back at the rumpus following Michael Oliver’s award of a penalty in the semi-final of the UEFA Champion League.

This week, I would like to look at a decision in the final of the competition, which did not seem to create any fuss but which I and many other referees thought was a mistake.

Let me recall the incident.

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius had the ball in his hands inside his penalty area.

He went to roll it to a teammate, but Real Madrid player Karim Benzema (pictured) stuck out his foot intercepting the ball, and diverted it into the Liverpool goal.

Many thought this transgressed the Law which says: “an indirect free-kick should be awarded if a player prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it. “ The referee, Milorad Mazic, however, allowed the goal to stand.

This Law was designed to some extent to prevent goalkeepers getting injured when trying to kick the ball out of their hands by opponents putting their foot up at the same time.

The overall reason, however, was to get the ball back in play as soon as possible, particularly as goalkeepers had been limited to six seconds to release the ball.

Some will say when the Liverpool goalkeeper let go of the ball to roll it to his teammate, he had already released it.

When watching the incident it did not seem to me Benzema had to move to intercept the ball, he merely lunged out with his foot.

This to me was clearly preventing the release of the ball back into play.

It would seem it all comes down to how far away an opponent should be, to be considered to have preventing it being put back in play, or for it to be seen as a legitimate action with the ball in play.

It would be good to have a clear ruling.