Question Number: 1134

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct

of , asks...

I've been looking for spesific situations involving a hand ball. I've heard it is only a hand ball if a player intentionaly plays the ball with his hand of arm. I've also heard it is if the player gains an advantage whether he hit the ball with his hands on purpose or not. If it is the first, I have almost never seen it called correctly. Please tell me which is correct, if either, and any other information I could use. Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Stacy Kalstrom

Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct is the Law that deals with handling. You are correct in your first statement. It is only called if the contact was deliberate. Further the ATROTLOTG tells us that "deliberate contact" means that the player could have avoideed the touch but chose not to, that the player's arms were not in a normal playing position at the time, or that the player deliberately continued an initially accidental contact for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage."..Where the balls goes subsequent to the contact is immaterial. It was either a handball at the moment of contact or it wasn't...When I see contact between the hand (including arm and fingertips and outer shoulder) I say to myself hand ball (hand played the ball) or ball hand (ball played the hand)? If it was a ball hand there is no call. If it was a handball, I make the call...This call is one of the biggest "myths" that we have in the game. Everyone thinks that any contact with ball and hand is a handball. They are incorrect. If it wasn't deleiberate (and the younger the player the less likely it is deliberate) don't call it...I have seen referees call handball on u-8 rec players for putting their hands over their face to block a ball hitting their face. No Way. Don't do it. They are allowed to protect themselves.

Answer provided by Referee burbidge

It is also important to note that when a female player protects herself from a ball - usually travelling very fast - to her chest, this is *not* a hand ball. The accepted motion is to cross their arms over their chest. A ball that is well struck can really hurt players even if they are 11. -I still remember the pain of such an occurence in grade 6. ...There is a male equivalent as well, in the FK scenario, for e.g., where a "wall" of male players strategically align (sp?) themselves in front of their goal with their hands protecting their genitals, a ball striking them in the hands by the FKer should not be whistled down.

Answer provided by Referee Victor Matheson

Click on the "Articles" link on this site for an essay about this issue as well.

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

See Question: 15564