Patrick Bamford Calls Controversial VAR Offside 'Daft' Following Crystal Palace Loss

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has confessed that he has no idea what the new offside rule is after he saw a first-half goal controversially ruled out in his side's 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace.

Bamford thought he had equalised in the 17th minute but VAR eventually decided to rule it out because the striker, who was pointing to where he wanted to receive the ball, had his arm up in an offside position.

It was one of the more perplexing decisions made by VAR this season, and Bamford admitted (via BBC Sport) that he cannot comprehend how a goal can be ruled out because of an offside arm.

"I don't understand the rule," he admitted. "You can't score with your arm. It doesn't make sense.

"It's happened with me today but I've seen it on numerous occasions. It's ruining football. You want to see goals. To have it ruled out for something like that is daft.

"Even the referee couldn't make sense of it. When the players and the officials can't make sense of it, does it make sense?"

The decision is technically correct as, according to the new handball law (which is thoroughly flawed in its own right) a player can use the top of their arm to control the ball or score, and therefore it can be called offside.

"It is a tough one," Bamford said when asked whether he would still point for balls in the future. You are giving handballs for jumping with their arms up, which is a natural jump. You are giving offside for when someone points where they want the ball, which is part of the game.

"If you asked me what the offside rule is I couldn't tell you. It is my job to stay onside but I just don't know."

Bamford did manage to get himself on the score sheet later in the half, but it wasn't enough to stop Leeds from falling to an Ebere Eze-inspired Palace.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!