Sam Kerr made headlines last week when she clashed with a field invader during a Champions League game between Chelsea and Juventus.
However, the individual who invaded the pitch has avoided police arrest entirely due to a legal failure in the UK.
Here is everything you need to know about the incident, and what the laws are in Australia.
What happened?
The pitch invader made his way onto the field during the match between Kerr's Chelsea and Italian side Juventus.
He then proceeded to wander around the pitch and take selfies.
The Australian forward then took matters into her own hands, and shoulder-barged the intruder, making him fall to the ground.
The pitch invader ran off and was slowly pursued by security guards.
Kerr wasn't shown any appreciation by the referee, who promptly gave her a yellow card for her aggression.
Why was the pitch invader not arrested?
The Athletic has reported that the pitch invader was promptly suspended by Chelsea.
However, the local Metropolitan Police announced that they have not arrested the individual.
As outlined in The Athletic's article, section 4 of the 1991 Football (Offences) Act makes clear it is an arrestable offence to go onto the playing area.
In the UK, if someone is to illegally enter the playing area or space adjacent to it, they are subject to a fine of up to GBP£1,000 (approx. AUD$1,850).
However, this legislation only applies to “designated matches”.
Women's matches are currently not categorised under this term in the UK.
Even the Women’s FA Cup final on December 5 - which had 40,942 fans in attendance - was not classified as a "designated match".
The safety of female players is now of high concern, with a lack of legal infrastructure to potentially protect them from future pitch invaders.
The failure to specify women's matches in legislation has led to a backlash, with a number of MPs in the UK advocating for change.
Speaking to media after the match, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes highlighted her concerns, explaining that the increasingly high-profile nature of women's football means safety needs to be a priority.
“We do have to think about player safety,” Hayes said.
“We’ve seen in the growth of the game there is this sense of the players being more in demand.
"It should serve as a reminder to us all in our stadiums and with our stewards we’ve got to put player protection first.”
What are the laws in Australia?
Pitch invaders in Australia potentially face a heftier fine than in the UK.
Under the Sporting Venues (Pitch Invasions) Act 2003 No 44, the maximum penalty in NSW for illegally entering a field is AUD$5,500.
The majority of major sporting venues in NSW are covered by this specific legislation, however, it is unclear whether women's matches are included.
Fines apply if the act is committed at a "designated sporting venue" which is described as "a sporting venue prescribed by the regulations".
