Previous Message

...and IMHO the root of the current problems. Pundits & referees are creating their own personal sense of justice. "He didn't mean to do it". That's the wrong approach. Just apply the laws of the game...

The laws state:

HANDLING THE BALL

For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence.

It is an offence if a player:

- deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball. That is clear & factual, nothing to do with intent.

- touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised

- scores in the opponents' goal:

- directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper

- immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental