Question Number: 14611

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/19/2006

Gil Acedo of Pasadena, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 14576

Question #14576

Forgive me referees, I have missed brousing your website the last few days.

I wanted to comment on the question regarding "handballs". I have more trouble with this call than any other facet of refereeing.

I read Ref Fleischer's response about half-a-dozen times but am unable to ascertain what the message is. Are you saying that if a player instinctively were to wrap his arms around a ball that hit him in the mid-section that a foul call was not warranted? Aren't we then going beyond judging a player's actions to reading his mind? Or, am I missing the whole point?

Please enlighten me.

Thanks for your insights,

Gil Acedo

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The law is clear...A dfk is given to opponents if a player handles ball deliberatly. USSF has given us guidelines when can use when evaluating whether or not a player played the ball with hands deliberatly. We are not to punish reflexes when the player did not have adequate time to react. If the ball hits a players hand and that player propels ball with hand, then we are to call it. If a player moves his hands to stop a ball from going past him deliberatly, then we are to call it.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Gil, just trying to make a point. What would you do if after you instantly blew for handling on this one he threw it into goals? What would you do if after he grabbed the ball you instantly blew then he dropped it and everyone froze except one alert forward who stuffed it into goals? You would be entirely correct!

Wouldn't you be entirely correct if you just lost a second trying to find your whistle? What's better here, the foul, a sending-off, a penalty and a pile of paperwork or skill and cunning winning a goal.

Sometimes a pause before blowing works out... Yeah, he deliberately handled the ball. Yeah go ahead and blow for it. Just pause a bit because the pause might get something better, like any other foul play. I used to teach my forwards parachute landing falls so when taken down it didn't last long. Many referees blew instantly, others waited just a sec. Nice things happened when they popped up still on the ball, just a thought.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Gil,
you are a dedicated referee intent on making the most with your efforts and attempts to evaluate, store and manage the knowledge of not only your personal experience but the collective wisdom of all!

There will always be moments of clarity as well as moments of doubt about what you saw and what decision you will make. Some times a word inserted within the context of a passage infers a double meaning unintended by the author or misinterpreted by the reader. I have a bad habit of understanding exactly what I mean even if I say it wrong! A ball delivered into the diaphragm could knock the breath out of a player and that deliberate handling might only be a crossing the arms over the affected section. You will DECIDE that based on a brief delay to assess what you saw and how best to proceed. It is hard not see a two handed grasp of the ball as anything but deliberate though!

I reread 14576 Ref Fleischer used the word reflex which you determined as an instinctive action not a deliberate play of the ball and thought he was telling you not to award a DFK for that certain situation. When in fact he was saying something completely contrary with the point being delay the whistle to await an outcome more favorable when possible!

You can not mind read a player although at times you can correctly guess and infer from his reactions much of the time. You judge the deliberate action by the player in playing the ball. You can watch the eyes, see the hand go into a pull away or tighten into a fist. the arms spread wide to knock a ball down or out of control while trying to stay upright. It is an opinion ,your match ,your decision, your reputation.
Cheers