Question Number: 28766

Law 18 - Common Sense 9/22/2014

RE: Premiere Under 15

Chris of Dover Plains , New York USA asks...

Can a player defend with their arm out? Bent or straight.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Chris
not sure exactly what it is you are looking for?
Are you talking about being set in a defensive wall ? Then no, those arms must be tucked into the body. If the arms are away from the body on a free kick this is considered a deliberate motion and a free kick results if they are hit by the free kick .

The arms are more prone to being judged for deliberate handling when deliberately playing the ball if they are in an extended form as you make yourself a bigger target to go around thus a bigger target to get the ball to be played off of you

If you use the arms for impeding an indfk foul or holding/ pushing as DFK fouls to say slingshot yourself around an opponent or prevent him from going by but we often use our arms for balance so there is no law preventing them from being away from the body just in how they are used!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
A player may not use his arm / hand to push, hold, charge an opponent. When that happens the referee penalises the player with the award of a direct free kick or a penalty.
In addition a player if he uses his hand / arm to play the ball which includes moving the arms in such a way as to the player bigger. That would be deliberate handling punished by a direct free kick of penalty