Question Number: 17993

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/24/2007

RE: Competitive Under 11

Alejandro Berry of Poway, California U.S.A. asks...

I was reffing a boys under 10 game and the score was 2-1 in the last ten minutes. The attacking team just had a corner and the ball squirted out towards the edge of the box. One of the defenders trips over himself while reaching to kick the ball and falls on his hand. As he was trying to get back up he accidentaly handles the ball in the box. I blew my whistle for a penalty kick because the ball ended up going to one of the defenders teammates who quickly kicked it out of bounds. Was this the right call? I know the coach didn't think it was.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Mr Berry,
you can not award a foul based on the fact a ball deflects off an arm ot hand accidently. Falling down is not a crime, nor is a ball striking the hand or arm. You MUST see the hand or arm deliberately play that ball. The fact that the ball might rebound favourably is no different then if the ball bounced off his head, his butt his knee his stomach etc.. it is just another body part. Advantagous result is not a reason to award a foul. You must see the ball deliberately handled by the player. As in most circumstances, better to see it to judge it properly, but your description leaves me to side with the coach here.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The old version of the Laws, before the 1997 Great Rewrite, said it this way: "carries, strikes or propels the ball with his hand or arm". Accidental contact of ball to arm doesn't make a handling offense. Not even if the results of that accidental contact are favorable to the team.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

You state the ball accidentally hit his hand. The Law states deliberately handles the ball [except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area]. There is a great disparity in these two statements. Something needs correcting. I wonder if the perception "a ball hitting the hand or arm of any player" can ever be corrected in all referees.

There is only one place to start. Sadly the coach was right in this case. Let's take the necessary action to prevent him from being right and the referee being wrong with regard to the Laws of the Game. It is a far better thing if both the referee and coach are correct in these matters.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Live and learn. Kudos for asking but you got this one dead wrong. You say the player accidently handled the ball. end of story. Doesn't matter where the ball ended up unless the player deliberately handled the ball. You say the player did not. No foul, you should have allowed play to continue.