Why was Phil Jones not sent off for his 'last man' foul on Eden Hazard?
Phil Jones denied Eden Hazard a clear goalscoring opportunity when he conceded a penalty in the early stages of the FA Cup final - so why was he not sent off?
The Manchester United defender was booked for the challenge, but a 2016 rule change ensured he escaped an early bath at Wembley.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) overturned the rule that stated players who deny a clear goalscoring opportunity are automatically sent off.
Players who make an 'accidental foul' while trying to play the ball, like Jones, no longer see red.
The rule-makers deemed that the award of a penalty 'restores' the original goalscoring opportunity, so it is unfair to subject the offending team to a 'triple-punishment' - conceding a penalty, losing a man and possibly conceding a goal.
Deliberate fouls with no attempt to play the ball, such as Laurent Koscielny's challenge on Robert Lewandowski last season, still incur a red.
The amendment in full reads: "When a denial of a goalscoring opportunity offence is committed by a defender in the penalty area, the penalty kick effectively restores the goalscoring opportunity so the punishment for the player should be less strong (e.g. a yellow card) than when the offence is committed outside the penalty area.
"However, when the offence is handball or clearly not a genuine attempt to play or challenge for the ball, the player will be sent off."
