Penalty taking has never been more important than it is in 2020. The introduction of VAR across Europe's top leagues, combined with revisions to the handball law, have contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of spot kicks awarded throughout the game.
There have been 41 penalties in 78 Premier League matches this season. By comparison, there were only 92 awarded in all 380 games of the 2019-20 campaign. If referees continue to make decisions at the same rate, it projects to a staggering 195 penalties in 2020-21, and nowhere has the impact of more penalties been clear than in the interpretation of a handball.