THE FIFA Women’s World Cup has been immensely enjoyable.

There have, however, been two instances with VAR used at penalties, causing controversy.

This led to pundits talking nonsense about law changes for goalkeepers at penalties.

These games were Scotland against Argentina and the USA against Sweden.

The controversy arose not over the awarding of the penalties (personally I wouldn’t have given either), but over the goalkeepers’ movement at the taking of the kick.

VAR showed on both occasions the goalkeeper had moved off the goal line before the kick was taken.

The BBC’s Scottish woman pundit, said they were robbed after all their hard work, because the law had been changed immediately before the tournament and they had had no warning.

In fact, it has always been an offence for the goalkeeper to move off the line before the kick is taken.

Until June of this year the Law has said: "the defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker between the goalpost, until the ball has been played."

The Law change this year has eased matters for goalkeepers, as it now says: "the goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on/in line with the goal line when the kick is taken."

This means the goalkeeper can step forward with one foot and the other foot doesn’t actually have to be grounded, as long as it is not in front of the goal line.

The goalkeeper is not allowed to stand behind the line.

The difference is not the law but VAR, and its freeze frames.

It is difficult for the assistant referee, whose job it is to spot if the goalkeeper moves, having also to watch the kicker.

More than once referees have said to me when I’ve had this task, ‘only signal if it is absolutely blatant’.

Incidentally, the Premier League which introduces VAR this season, announced that although FIFA’s Pierluigi Collina believes it is correct for VAR to make this judgement, they will leave it to the match officials.