was still a 50/50 call at best, it was a clear penalty - but I still do not think it past the 'deliberate' test. The ref made his decision based on the fact that Kewells arm moved so much after the ball smashed into the top of it rather than because he had a clear view of what occured.

If you want to talk a bout clear interpretations of the rules is there any leeway for a studs up late challenge from behind being anything other than a straight red?

How many of the 46420 voters have read and understood the rules of the game?

Should Harry Kewell have been given a red card for handball in the Socceroos' clash with Ghana?
Yes - it was deliberate
19.82% (9201 votes)
No - he couldn't avoid the shot
80.18% (37219 votes)
Total votes: 46420

Poll: Rate the decision to send Harry Kewell off against Ghana.
Spot on
9%
Unlucky, but fair
26%
Harsh call
66%
This is what the public are saying, you people who say it was a fair decision would be a minority

Thing is once he gave the penalty he had to give the red he had no other choice.

Then call me a c**t

Anyone who thinks that was a red card is a C**t.
.

Who says it was deliberate? in Serbia's first game against Ghana a player went to head the ball with what was deemed to be an accidental hand ball and only got a yellow card (and subsequent penalty).
The fact is Kewell had little chance at that pace to move and acted with instinct, trying to get his chest onto the ball. He had much less time to think about it than the Serbian player, yet this constitutes a red card????

'Gutted' Kewell praises team-mates

An ambiguous decision by Italian referee Roberto Rosetti to send Harry Kewell off in the 25th minute of Australia's match against Ghana for deliberate handball has left Australia's World Cup campaign hanging by a thread.

Speaking after Australia’s brave 1-1 draw with Ghana in Rustenburg, heartbroken Kewell pleaded not guilty to the offence but said he had to take the controversial decision on the chin.

”I am devastated,” Kewell said.

”The guy has killed my World Cup. He is the judge, jury, and executioner. I am devastated but that is football. You take the good with the bad. I have had some great moments and some bad moments. I didnt mean to get sent off but what can you do?”

“I think the referee did have a look at the screen but once he has made his decision he has to stick by it. He is the referee. You can’t tell him what to do.”

While Australia’s players protested the hard-line decision, Kewell revealed Rosetti told him to “just go” and he had to watch the remainder of the match in the dressing room under watch from a security guard.

Kewell claimed he had been intending to chest the goal-bound ball away from danger but instead, it hit his arm.

“If you look at the situation, OK, maybe it has hit my arm but it was not deliberate,” Kewell said.

“I was only trying to get my shoulder out of the way but the ref made a decision that only he can probably answer.

“Unless I detach my arm and put it somewhere else there is no way I can move my arm.

“I didn't deliberately go for the hand, I didn’t try to handball it, I tried to use my chest, playing by the rules, but the ref saw it another way and was probably the only one who did.

“Was it a red card? We have some decisions in this World Cup that haven't been red cards.

“So why is this one different? I think that’s why everyone gets confused and everyone gets frustrated with referees because one minute they are saying this and this and then next.

Kewell, who was starting his fist match since January, paid tribute to Australia’s performance before and, importantly, after - his ejection.

“I thought the team set out to do what we planned to do and we got the early goal,” Kewell said. “OK, they started to come back a little bit but we got a grip on it, we controlled it. But a decision like that has probably haunted us throughout the World Cup.

“That is football and you have to take it on the chin.

“It showed today that we went out there and played the way we should have played against Germany and it is a shame we didn’t have 11 men for 90 minutes.

“We had great support out there and it is a shame that they have come such a long way. It is a shame. I cant put it into words.

“I am gutted.”
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/socceroos/news/1009499/-Gutted-Kewell-praises-team-mates