Hannes Kaasik, head of referees at the Estonian Football Association (EJL), has admitted that Paide Linnameeskond’s disallowed goal against FC Flora in the A. Le Coq Premium Liga was incorrectly ruled offside.
The incident occurred when Martin Miller scored with a long-range strike, moments after a pass intended for Bubacarr Trawally, who was flagged offside by assistant referee Silver Sepp. The goal was overturned, and the video assistant referees (VAR) chose not to intervene.
Following a post-match review, Kaasik confirmed that “offside lines drawn using specialised software later showed that there was no infringement—the distance between players was only around 5–10 centimetres.” He added that while Sepp’s call was understandable given the tight margins, it ultimately did not align with officiating guidelines to let play continue in borderline situations.
According to Kaasik, the VAR officials acted correctly under protocol: “VAR can only overturn a decision when there is clear proof that the on-field call was wrong. In a borderline situation such as this, VAR must uphold the original decision.”
The error proved costly for Paide, whose hopes of securing the bronze medal are now no longer fully in their own hands. The title race remains largely unaffected—Flora must still win their final two matches to clinch the championship, a scenario unchanged even if the goal had stood.
