A deliberate act.... the great handball debate

[seand]

I'll start a new thread on this rather than further derailing the CL one. So, according to the FIFA laws of the game (I added the numbers in square brackets).....

Handling the ball
Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with his hand or arm. The referee must take the following into consideration:
[1] • the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
[2] • the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
[3] • the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement
[4] • touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement
[5] • hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement

Disciplinary sanctions
There are circumstances when a caution for unsporting behaviour is required when a player deliberately handles the ball, e.g. when a player:
• deliberately handles the ball to prevent an opponent gaining possession
• attempts to score a goal by deliberately handling the ball
A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.
Restart of play
• Direct free kick from the position where the offence occurred (see Law 13 – Position of free kick) or penalty kick

Taking the infamous 2018 World Cup final penalty as a starting point I would argue that Ivan Perisic should not have been penalised. "Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact" - did not happen, for me. Also the ref must consider [1] imo, it was ball to hand, [2] distance is less than one metre, [3] position of the hand, for me, is natural

Let's kick off a shitshow of a debate between people who'll never agree!

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I think where we got to on the other thread (and I think I agree) is that in applying [1], a player moving or jumping into the path of a ball in attempting to block it and handling it (albeit inadvertently) is making "a movement of the hand toward the ball". Not in just what I would have called the old interpretation, of just waving the arm itself at the ball?

[Janik]

I think this is relatively easily solved. Make the ball accidentally hitting a hand an offence if the contact benefits the team whose hand it hit, but make this only punishable with an indirect free-kick. Make deliberately handling the ball, i.e. with a clear action so not 'hands being in an unnatural position' or any such complex stuff but something with obvious intent, a direct free-kick/penalty and an automatic card.

It could be framed thus:-
It is not permitted to play the ball with the hand or arm:
i) If the ball inadvertently strikes the hand or arm and the team of the player whose hand or arm was struck benefits from this contact, then an indirect free-kick shall be awarded at the point where the hand or arm was struck.
ii) To deliberately catch, play or deflect the ball with the hand or arm is Unsportsmanlike conduct. This shall be punished with a direct free-kick or penalty depending on where the offence occurred, and the offending player shall be cautioned.
iii) If the ball strikes the hand or arm of a player and this contact prevents an otherwise certain goal, then a penalty kick shall be awarded. If this contact is inadvertent then no further punishment shall be applied to the player whose hand or arm was hit. A penalty shall be awarded even if the contact was outside the penalty area.
iv) A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.


The caveat at the end of iii) is massively unlikely but just about possible if the 'keeper has gone to the other end of the field. Once in a blue moon at most.

[ursus arctos]

I would expect that to bring back the "starfish" style of defending, at least in situations where the attacking team is exerting significant pressure.

As much as I would like to see more indirect free kicks within the area, I take issue with the idea that the current UEFA interpretation needs to be "fixed". It seems to me to be a reasonably rational way to improve the odds of attacks being successful by limiting what the defence can do without being sanctioned. In particular, it isn't clear to me why a defender should be able to present a larger obstacle simply by jumping.