Question Number: 31784

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/13/2017

RE: Beginner Under 17

Saad of Karachi, Pakistan Pakistan asks...

When a defender uses his shoulder to stop the ball is that considered as a foul?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Saad,
It depends how you define the shoulder (and also, how you define a foul) but in general if the ball contacts the shoulder it is not an offence.

Although the Laws do not give clear definitions of the arm and shoulder, it is usually considered that the arm stops and the shoulder starts where the shoulder seam is normally located on a shirt. So if the ball contacts the 'top' of the shoulder above that seam, it would not be an offence. If a player uses the part of the arm below such a seam to deliberately contact the ball, that would be an offence.

Incidentally, for the avoidance of confusion, I would prefer to use the word 'offence' rather than 'foul.' According to how the word 'foul' was always used when I was growing up in England, it only referred to an illegal physical challenge against an opponent. So if we use that definition deliberate handling while it is an offence, is not a foul. Once again, the Laws do not give clear guidance on the use of the terms and I know that in some areas (the US, for example) the two seem to be used more interchangeably.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Saad
Playing the ball with the shoulder is not an offence whereas playing the ball with an arm is the offence of deliberate handling. As Referee Grove points out the arm for handling purposes starts at the shoulder socket where the seam of the shirt is located.
So let us say that the ball hits or is played with the top of the shoulder then that is not handling. If the player plays the ball with the front of the shoulder can a referee know if the ball was played by the chest or by the arm? In the absence of certainty handling should not be called. If the player extends the arm away from the body or raises the arm when doing this most if not all referee will see that as handling with the arm used to control or move the ball.
Similarly if a ball hits a player side on at the shoulder with his arm at his side that is unlikely to be called as deliberate handling simply because the ball hits the player and the arm is in a natural side on position. The player in that position has not made himself any bigger compared to raising his arm which clearly does.