West Bromwich Albion striker Aune Heggebo has become the first footballer to be banned under the Football Association's rarely used "deception of a match official" rule, after his side's opening-day Championship win over Norwich City. The incident has reignited debate over the absence of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the second tier, with West Brom arguing the punishment sets a concerning precedent for how players should be expected to react in split-second, likely accidental situations.

Heggebo's goal came when a cross deflected off Norwich goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic and struck his hand before going in, helping West Brom to a 2-1 victory at Carrow Road. The FA charged him under Rule E3.1 and banned him for two matches on Thursday, giving little explanation beyond the factual ruling; West Brom insist the deflection left Heggebo "less than 0.1 of a second" to react and say they will seek clarification from the FA. The case follows a rule change brought in during 2017-18, and comes after Championship clubs voted in April against introducing VAR for the 2026-27 season, an idea BBC Sport understands is unlikely to be revisited soon.