Aune Heggebo, the West Bromwich Albion forward, has been banned for two matches after the Football Association found he had “successfully deceived” a match official in their 2-1 win away to Norwich City in the Championship.
Heggebo, 25, controversially opened the scoring at Carrow Road last Saturday, deflecting a left-wing cross into the net with his outstretched arm.
The FA charged Heggebo on Tuesday with a breach of Rule E3.1 and despite West Brom launching an appeal, a regulatory commission ruled on Thursday that the player must serve a two-game suspension due to him “handling the ball in a direct and successful attempt to score a goal.”
Aune Heggebø will serve a two-match suspension after an appeal against a charge of misconduct was unsuccessful.
We remain steadfast in our support of Aune, whose character and integrity have been evident throughout his time at The Hawthorns.
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) August 20, 2026
Retrospective disciplinary action has previously been taken against players guilty of simulation but West Brom, who repeated their defence of Heggebo in a statement on Thursday night, are of the belief that this charge is the first of its kind in English football following a rule change two years ago.
West Brom argue that Heggebo was left with “0.1 of a second” to react after the ball had deflected off the hand of Norwich keeper Vladan Kovacevic. “Given the accidental nature of the handball, the club argued it could not be reasonably viewed as a deliberate act of deception,” a club statement read.
The Championship club also said they would write to the FA requesting further details of the ruling.
Heggebo, a Norway international who signed from Brann last year, will now miss Saturday’s Championship game against Burnley and the EFL Cup tie against Newcastle United on August 26.
The incident reopened the debate over the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the Championship, with EFL clubs blocking its introduction to date.
