Question Number: 30942

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/23/2016

Tony Diehl of Bedford, New Hampshire United States asks...

In a recent discussion about deliberate handling a more experienced ref recently asserted that what happens after a handling (i.e., where the ball goes) should have no bearing on the refs determination of whether the handling was deliberate. I understood his point, but argued that since we are trying to infer whether the handling was deliberate it seems that the consequence of the action may not be dispositive but is surely relevant. For example, the fact that a handled ball drops directly to the feet of the handling player engaged in a promising attack could/should be considered in determining whether the handling was deliberate. Thoughts?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tony
You colleague is correct. What happens the ball after an accidental handling is if no consequence yet sometimes human nature makes refs do otherwise. If say a defender on the line with his back to the ball is hit at short range on his arm and it bounces up into the goalkeepers grasp that is not a penalty just because the defending team benefitted from that. It has to be deliberate action which plainly it was not. Period.
Now what can happen on deliberate handling is the ball is directed deliberately to the benefit of the offending player and team. Same scenario as above yet the player this time moves his arm to stop the ball which then deflects to the GK. Same outcome yet this handling is a penalty and a sanction of a caution or a dismissal if a goal is denied.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tony,
I think I have a grasp of what you are after but traditionally NO, the FACT a ball hits the hand or arm and falls advantageously has nothing to do with WHY the ball hit the hand or arm. If a player is on a break away and chests the ball forward or tries to juggle it with his knees and as HE does so the ball bounces up into the freewheeling arms or hands at his side only to deflect back to his feet you can determine it was HIS deliberate act of playing the ball that is responsible and award a handling DFK against him even though in all probability that was NOT what he intended . Yet you will determine it was a deliberate action on his part that is responsible. Now imagine if the ball bounces up and smacks him in the face instead? A player who is IN charge of the ball is generally not given the same leeway as a player who is hit by the ball redirected at him from elsewhere as he has less self determination of the outcome.

I have seen plenty of handling fouls where the body is rotated slightly or shoulder jutted forward to make a cross hit the arm/chest, not just the chest, and be cradled if you grasp that meaning. I have seen goals scored from the back of the hand, fist elbow, top of the shoulder face, butt, and back of the head with the goal scorer not a chance to do anything but have the ball hit those areas. The difference is what are we doing to deliberately play the ball itself? A striker running in on a keeper chasing a possible back pass the keeper realizes his hands are not a good option tries to clear with a mighty kick. Bang, bang, off the keepers foot right into the striding strikers piston driving left arm into the goal. Keeper say, ' Hey ref the ball hit his arm.' I say 'So? You kicked the ball right into him at less than a yard away at full strength what did you expect the ball to do when it hit, go through it??
The arms were in a normal running position, not a seagull wing flap or a raised palm slapping motion. The player had zero chance of avoiding the ball and could not be punished just because the ball deflected in off his arm . In similar situations the ball has bounced off groin knee shin face chest you get the idea.

I try to point out the INTENTIONS of the player who the ball hits or the player who tries intentionally to manipulate the ball, we are not mind readers we do not know exactly the thinking process, if it was a oh no, wtf?, crap! warding the ball away rather than jerking the arm out of the way or a crafty manipulation to turn the head and look surprised. The fact is a great many deliberate handlings are NOT The result of INTENT but ONLY in the opinion of the referee a deliberate action.

Players generally grasp that using the arm to score or control is frowned upon yet some can not resist the impulse to slap away at it, if just within reach. I watched a keeper come out of his PA make a bad pass then jump up outside his PA to swat the shot over his head HE KNEW but he could NOT stop himself . The Referee in that match showed him a direct red card for DOGSO by use of the hand.

I think the area where you have issues is when an incoming ball flies in and hits the arm and drops either in front of the defending player or redirects away from the incoming attacker the screams for a PK echo about the stadium or the exact opposite, the attacker receives an advantageous drop or the ball goes towards an attacking team mate away from the defence and how unfair is that goal as a consequence. You need to be aware on the actions of the player prior to the ball arriving and judge it as fair or foul not worry about what the ball does after. I can tell you MOST times there is no real foul it is an unfortunate circumstance of perception. That said

The position of arms away from the body:
I can tell you, if the arms are raised HIGH, over the head while you jump into a challenge and the ball strikes those raised arms or if you spread them out wide like a seagull flapping his wings while challenging the ball carrier you WILL LIKELY get the call against you and rightly so.
You can claim there is no time to get out of the way but when you deliberately put the arms in a likely area for an incoming ball to get though that is a deliberate action it is referred to as making yourself bigger, taller or wider to force angles where the opposition tries to go around. I tell players who are standing on the goal line defending not to adjust their stances wide with outstretched arms but to place the hands on thighs, elbows into against the body I see wide separation that is a deliberate stance to be big and acting just like a keeper, except as a player you have NO right to use the arms.

I am harsher on the elite level for STANDING or being STILL with arms wide or high particularly in around the goal area while protecting the goal . Also JUMPING or CHALLENGING with arms wide or high. Yet in any deliberate action undertaken there is a risk the referee might decide if the arms make contact with the ball it is BECAUSE the player deliberately chose to make that action as in a slide tackle trying to stop a cross and the ball strikes the arm and veers off. often the arms are away from the body as you are stretched full out. Yet if the ball rolls up and over the body into and over the arms how can we say that was deliberate arm motion it was a deliberate attempt to challenge but the arm was not stuck out to corral the ball? My thinking here is we do NOT seek to punish players for playing normally.

What is MUCH harder to get a good handle on, pun intended, lol, is when players are in transition, say defenders following their checks back into the PA area or attackers trying to run into a good attacking positions. The arms are attached to the body and they do move to accommodate balance and running motions. Players are NOT To be punished for using arms the way arms are meant to be used. It is NOT always possible to keep the arms within the shadow of the body as most players do on the wall in free kicks.

Nor will the odd player be able to stop themselves from an auto push reflex when a ball is delivered into the shadow of the body. I hate those type of DFKs because the deliberate action is somewhat instinctive. I had a 13 year old keeper in the first half, trade out in the second half to be an outfield player, the first shot on his goal while acting as a defender the ball was hit hard right towards his face and he collapsed his arms around the ball catching it . Then looking horrified, realizing what he had done looked at me as I was looking at him with a wry expression and head tilt, raising my whistle and he threw the ball over his shoulder into the goal. I awarded the goal restart kick off glad that I held my whistle and did not have to show him a red card and send him off . IF that ball had been at his face and he put up his arm to block at the elite or pro level we call it deliberate at youth level how about an instinctive defensive reaction where we are less inclined to call it a foul given the ball would have struck the head anyway. In the mini youth leagues it is actually a foul to head the ball so if a handling to stop the ball from hitting the head is going to be ruled as a deliberate action then they should teach the wee ones to duck out of the way.

Still as we progress up the chain we hold those who play elite more accountable for their choices. The arms away from the body have to be there as a result of an action they are doing. If it is NOT in deliberate preparation to play the ball then it must be defined as some other purpose as a balance effect to make a turn or stop suddenly or change direction or striving to keep up or get away from with a fast opponent to be somewhere on the FOP, or in a few cases where the ball is blasted into the unseen vision an instinctive get out of the way action. We all say the usual when teaching about the criteria of handles the ball deliberately look at the awareness, the timing, the space, (if you are in a crowd), the direction of the ball flight (is he sighted does it change abruptly), how fast, how close? Is there any reason to think he deliberately put the hands there to play that ball or was he just there and the ball hits THAT particular body part?

For ME in MY opinion, If I am not thinking that the offence of handles the ball deliberately does not require a caution or a send off then I am NOT likely to award it because if it is TRULY a deliberate action it is done knowingly more often as a tactical deny the attack or stop a goal. It is not that all fouls of handles the ball deliberately are cardable particularly at the youth level but usb misconduct is a principle I do apply closely to this particular foul. I also subscribe to the SAME principle as offside if I am unsure then it DID NOT Happen. I have learned over the years not to suffer the knee jerk reaction of the wailing and sniveling every time a ball and arm make contact to make a call that most on the FOP will scream for because it is EASY to see and satisfies their perspective. I often point out the game is seen from different perspectives. A Fan sees what they think they see. A Player sees what he FEELS he sees ! A Coach or Manger sees what they want to see! but Only a Referee sees what he sees .

You know from the quick concise advice of Ball hits arm no foul to Hand hits ball foul! We talk a lot about this foul because it seems so unfair and has such a dramatic effect on a match due to its susceptibility of being easily seen. Yet it creates greater conflict and disagreement than most any other foul as to if it was or was not. There is an expression that our newest panel member reminded me of recently ''If you never called a single handball, you'd probably be right about 90% of the time.
Now that might be a reach at the pro level but certainly holds true at the recreational level. My last bit of advice is your match your decision your reputation is based on your choices Do not fall prey to the lamentations and wailings, if it is not deliberate than state it NO, NO! NOTHING THERE ! NOT DELIBERATE! GET ON WITH IT! it at least shows you saw what they think, feel or want to see , ( ball and arm together ) just not the perceived arm to ball foul they will be screaming for.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Tony,

It seems that you're attempting to break the laws of physics and argue that effect comes before cause!

If a player accidentally handles the ball, does the fact that the ball just happened to drop at his feet change an accident into a deliberate act?

Absolutely not. Wouldn't make sense to argue otherwise! At the moment of contact you judge whether a foul has occurred. What happens after is irrelevant.

I have had a game where an attacker was in a crowded PA. Arms by his side. Ball bouncing around, he lost sight of the ball. Was kicked into his arm, dropped straight down to his feet. He scored. Arms were in a natural position, he had no sight of the ball and no chance to react. That's all that matters. Ball falls to his feet? So what? It was a good goal.

It may seem unfair that he has benefited from such handling - but how would it be fair to punish him for something that he could no reasonably have been expected to avoid?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Tony,

As we have mentioned before on the site, handling offences are some of the more difficult ones to judge and and bringing more clarity to this area of the law is a stated aim of the IFAB.

There are various pieces of guidance that have been given or can be found, on things to consider when trying to decide if deliberate handling has occurred but one that I have never seen mentioned on any official or governing body's website or in any official document, is to look at where the ball goes after contact occurs. All the advice that I have ever seen relates to things that occur or situations that exist immediately before (or as) the potential offence happens. Trying to decide if it was deliberate handling based on where the ball goes afterwards is not recommended practice by any authoritative source that I am aware of.

My advice would be to concentrate on the actions of the player in the moments immediately before the potential handling offence, rather than what occurs afterwards.