Question Number: 31169

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/11/2017

RE: All College

David crone of Columbus , Ms United States asks...

If a player uses the top of his shoulder to strike a ball with the shoulder moving from six o'clock to 12 o'clock basically straight up to strike a ball. Is that considered handling ? My interpretation and past experience. Tells me this is a non natural playing position. I am aware that if the player uses his chest to move in a forward direction to strike a ball and it hits the front of the shoulder and chest this is I believe is not a handling call But in the first situation this would be handling Any thoughts

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi David
As a rough rule of thumb below the seam of the shirt at the shoulder is location where deliberate handling is considered. Above that it is not. So a player that uses the top of the shoulder to play the ball would not be considered to have handled the ball

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi David,
Natural playing position is only relevant when the arm is being used and it's one of several things we use to determine whether it was a deliberate action or not.
Whether the arm is used in the first place is a decision that comes before trying to determine if the arm was in a natural position.
The top of the shoulder would be part of the shoulder blade, which would be part of the torso, not the arm, so is legal to play the ball.
The front of the shoulder is also perfectly legal - basically, if you feel the bony past of your shoulder, that's what's legal to play the ball. Below that is the arm.

As Ref McHugh states, the seam on the shoulder of the shirt is a good rule of thumb in determining where the arm begins.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi David,
as described a shoulder pop is not an offence. The collar bone and shoulder blade are not considered a part of the arm when we determine handling. Scored many a goal off a neck shoulder redirect lol Different if the arm is extended as opposed to tight to body then the fleshy part of the arm is possibly being used.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi David,
The action as you describe it would not, in my opinion, constitute a handling offence. Unfortunately the Laws of the Game do not give a definition of where exactly the arm stops and the shoulder begins but as my colleagues have both indicated it is normally taken that the shoulder seam marks the demarcation line.

Although I did not always agree with all parts of the USSF's Advice to Referees document and they no longer issue the document, they did define the hand and arm in a way that I think most referees would recognise. Their definition was as follows:

''For purposes of determining deliberate handling of the ball, the 'hand' is considered to be any part of the arm-hand from fingertip to shoulder. Using the top of the shoulder is not considered as using the hand.'' This wording was accompanied by a diagram with the demarcation line being, as mentioned, where the shoulder seam would be on a shirt.