Question Number: 15773

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/13/2007

RE: Competitive Adult

Mark of Raleigh, NC USA asks...

I had a situation in my last game where the ball came into the box from a cross. My defender (I'm the goalie) tried to volley the ball over his shoulder and out and incidentally it hit his hand. It wasn't intentional, but a PK was awarded. I've never entirely been too clear on this handball/PK ruling. From FIFA Laws of the Game it states a PK is awarded if a player deliberately handles the ball in his own penalty area. If it was incidental, how could it be deliberate? Shouldn't this case have been an indirect kick at the spot of the foul? Unfortunately, as always, the ref was quick to award a PK -- which turned out to be the game decider. Such a shame, eh?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mark,
for the purposes of WHAT a player MEANS to do we use the words deliberate actions rather than wondering what he intended to do. Referees are not mind readers, although we can quess what a defender might be trying to do! We base our call of (handles the ball deliberately) on the players actions not his thoughts!

The ONLY restart in law for this offence is a DFK thus a PK if inside the player's own penalty area. NO INDFK is possible for a (handles the ball deliberately) by any player. The keeper has 4 violations where an illegally handled ball inside his area could result in INDKS but they are four seperate offences ONLY a keeper can be quilty of!
A referee who awards an INDFK in the situation you describe would FAIL any assessent as it is contrary to the laws of the game. He either sees it as a DFK offence where the player deliberately handled the ball or play should be allowed to continue !

Generally on a cross there is sufficent time for a defender to make a decision to play the ball, cover a defender or move out of the way. AS a deliberate playing action once a player has deliberately initiated contact to play the ball his motions are looked at in that light.

I grant you if I watched a player attempting to deliberately clear the ball with his foot and mis hit the ball into his hand I might not see it as a deliberate action depending on how the arms were used. If the arm was trying to be pulled back or the arm was in a natural position for balance and the speed of play too fast to react likely no foul!
If the arm was placed out to say deliberately shield an opponent off the ball or was moved into and towards the ball perhaps a foul .

It does not matter as conjecture, the referee of your match was of the opinion it was a foul, thus as a match condition it is ! One can only hope he would base all his calls on that same premise for that match to be equal in his application. If in hindsight he came to realize he was in error then we could have hope for his continued improvement in foul recognition in future matches.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Mark, besides concurring with my esteemed colleague, Ref Dawson, regarding the decision the referee made to penalize what in his/her opinion was deliberately handling the ball, I would also add that your suggestion that an IFK should have been the restart because it was "incidental" is totally in error. There is either deliberately handling the ball or nothing at all. It is a penal foul and is always restarted with a direct free kick when outside the penalty area of the team that committed the foul. Or it is a penalty kick if it occurs inside that team's own penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Mark, how could this ever end up as an indirect free kick? If indeed it was a foul, deliberately handling the ball, the ONLY possible restart in this instance is a PK. If the action was NOT deliberate, nothing should have been called and play should have continued.