Question Number: 33562

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/7/2019

RE: Competitive Adult

Peter Babbage of Hjorring , Denmark asks...

Im seeking clarification regarding the new revision about scoring when the ball strikes the arm and it being disallowed. If I have read the article in a newspaper correctly it says the goal will be disallowed if the ball strikes the hand or arm even if accidentally. It further said that there will be some flexibility if the ball has been deflected from another player or it has struck another part of the players body and then the arm. Firstly is this actually the case? Just my own view but surely this is a minefield. Did a team-mate deliberately redirect the flight of the ball towards the goal scorer? Did the player deliberately play it from one part of his body onto the arm. Surely best to just say if it hits the arm, thats it, no goal.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Peter,
These are two completely separate and different provisions of the law as it relates to handling.

Any goal that results from the ball coming off an attacker's hand or arm will be disallowed, even if it was accidental. There are no supplementary considerations or provisos regarding how the ball arrived at the player's hand/arm.

In another part of the law that covers when a player should be penalised for handling the ball, there is a clause that says it is not usually an offence if the ball comes off the player's own body or off a nearby opponent and into the arm. However that has nothing to do with the scenario where a goal/goal scoring opportunity results from an accidental handball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
Two different provisions in the Law.
IFAB has decided that even if it is unintentional a player who gains possession/control of the ball after it has touched their hand/arm and then either scores in the opponents goal or creates a goal-scoring opportunity is considered handling punished by a direct free kick.
So let us say that the ball hits an attacker on the arm unintentionally and it rebounds into the goal that is penalised as DHB. I had one a few weeks ago and the ball was blasted at an attacker from short range and it hit him on the arm by his side. It was not deliberate yet the ball fell kindly for the attacker in a goal svoring situation. I blew for DHB.
On the second provision IFAB lists four instances where it believes that it may not be deliberate handling
# directly from the player's own head or body (including the foot)
# directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close
# if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger
# when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
Those however do not apply in a goal or goal scoring opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Peter,
well in their infinite wisdom FIFA/IFAB have decreed that ANY advantageous deflection of the ball that constitute a goal or goal scoring opportunity off an attacker 's arm be it on purpose OR accidental is to be punished with a direct free kick. If it was not deliberate it is JUST a free kick, if it was deemed deliberate it could be a caution for USB.
The thing is this exception DOES NOT apply to an own goal by a defender which would be counted nor any accidental handling that is cleared which would be allowed.

The LOTG have tried to identify the traits one might opine as fair not foul when a referee judges if the player has in fact handled the ball (foul) versus the ball struck him (no foul)
FIFA Quote
# directly from the player's own head or body (including the foot)
# directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close
# if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger
# when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
End quote
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 33566