Question Number: 17376

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/18/2007

RE: Competitive Under 12

Sharon of Dorval, Quebec Canada asks...

Is there any such term as "indeliberate handball in the box"? Isn't a handball in the box always a penalty shot?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

A player, other than the goalkeeper, guilty of DELIBERATELY HANDLING THE BALL inside his own penalty area will have a penalty kick awarded to the opposing team. Please note that "handball" only means the hand and ball came into contact and does not mean a foul has been committed. If it was not deliberate, it's not a foul. Most times in youth play it's not deliberate but you see this called wrongly at almost every youth soccer match. If the referee calls it correctly, you'll hear 50 people all yelling "handball".

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Sharon,
there is no penalty or foul or anything as a matter of fact when the ball hits you in the backside, off your knee, the top of your head , the back of the neck, your calf, your hip or heaven forbid the nards. Why do you think it should be if the ball hits your elbow, wrist, thumb, forearm or bicep? These are just body parts. At some point in a game the ball will hit nearly all the points the body has.

Most of the times we see the ball coming and can react to its line of flight. Many times the ball comes in too fast or we are unaware of its proximity and it hits us. That is all there is to it.

The penal foul of "handles the ball deliberately" requires a player to adjust the use of the arms from a surface the ball could hit, which as we know is ok to a DELIBERATE surface for HITTING or STOPPING the ball .

Now a referee cannot mind read what a player is thinking instead he watches to see what the player actually does.
If the ball decides to bounce funny off the grass how much fault can we lay at the tip of an elbow?

Try this experiment at home have a ball thrown at you twice from 25 yards by your child. Tell them to aim for you head then your arm . You play that ball as if you need to stop it from entering the goal but you can not use your hands. Decrease the distance by 5 yards after each of the two attempts. As the ball comes at you closer and faster you will have this over powering instinct to say that?s enough but instead react as if you are on the pitch and what do you find yourself doing? Flinching, trying to get out of the way, raising your arm to your face? Welcome to understanding of MYTH 101 there is no such thing as a foul of handball! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

"Accidental Hand Ball" only applies to television commentators, radio commentators and those who don't have a clue. It a referee NEVER blows his whistle when there is contact between the hand/arm and the ball he'll be correct 90% of the time. Same thing applies to "Intentional Hand Ball", TV and radio folks say that is an "automatic yellow card" Bollix, bollix, bollix.

The referee is only concerned with the direct free kick offence "handles the ball deliberately[except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area]". And, of course, where did the deliberate act happen, in the outfield or within the penalty area.

Knowing that we must assume the ball can hit the hand or arm inside a players own penalty area and not be foul play.

Regards,