Question Number: 29868

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2015

RE: Rec and Competitive Under 19

Victor Blackburn of Beaufort, SC United States asks...

I was officiating a U13 match the other day. An attacker dribbles through the defense, shoots and it deflects off the keeper back to the player and from my view it looked as if he played it back down legally, off of his chest back to his foot, and scores a goal. As I always do, I looked to my assistant referee to confirm that he didn't see anything that would disallow a goal and he jogs up the touch line, therefore I allow the goal. Here's where it gets tricky. I am suddenly approached by 3 players of the defending team claiming that there was a hand ball. I then am approached by the goal scorer and he openly admits that the ball hit his hand. However, being that I did not see the hand ball, nor did my assistant, and therefore would've been unable to see if the hand ball was deliberate or not, I allow the goal to stand, much to the chagrin of the opposing players and coach. I explain my decision and am still understandably met with a little protest. My question is was my decision correct to let the goal stand even when the player admits to the ball hitting his hand even though I or my assistant could not see it?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Victor
The ball hitting the hand is not necessarily deliberate handling and while the player might be well minded in his honesty that does not say that an offence was committed.
Now this is where it gets tricky. If the player genuinely says that he controlled the ball with his hand deliberately and the referee has no reason to question the integrity of that then the referee can accept his word and disallow the goal. Deliberate handling has a DFK restart and that will be correct in Law. A dropped ball has been used to restart where a referee has to stop play temporarily for any reason not mentioned elsewhere in the Laws of the Game. I also believe that the referee will not encounter any difficulty with the restart. He may though have to forgo the regular sanction of a caution for using a hand to deliberately score
That is exceptionally rare yet it has happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6MYwokbhU&t=0m10s
In this clip the Red player told the referee that he was not fouled and the restart was a dropped ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TPjx1DMaEw
In this clip White also tells the referee that he was not fouled and again I believe it was a dropped ball restart.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Victor,
As you know a referee with integrity sees what he sees. You as the referee and this being a fact of play you are indeed correct to allow the goal based on the duties and authority of LAW 5.

Some players are willing to live with cheating, the Maradonna and Henri fouls are infamous now. They deliberately handled the ball and achieved a worldwide result of dubious distinction .

Funny, if a ball hits off an opponents hand on purpose or accident the opposition is usually screaming immediately as a matter of trying to get the result they wish. Good job on the eye check with the AR good habits are lifeblood of communication .

There is of course recognizing that if the ball IMPACTED the players hand/arm then it was not deliberate simply a fortuitous rebound, the goal is perfectly fine. Restart kick off.

The goal scorer admitting to the ball hit his hand is one thing but did he request the goal not stand? Did you ask, ' Did you direct the ball into the goal using your hand?' If he openly admits this was a deliberate movement then go ahead and restart with a DFK praise his honesty and remind everyone that fair play is more than just a concept, here was proof . Now if you caution him and show him a yellow card for attempting to deliberately score with his hands you are correct in law but not so in spirit I be thinking

I was doing a men's semi final for the a Provincial Championship an attacker had burst in on goal running hard chasing a ball the keeper was NOT permitted to use their hands on as it was deliberately kicked by the team mate . The keeper ran out and smashed that ball directly into the left side of his forward facing body and it rebounded back into the goal. The keeper was upset and pointed out that the ball had gone in off the hand. I looked at him and said even if true, from that distance, given how fast he was moving to close you down and how hard you kicked that ball in that instant it hit his hand and went directly into the goal even you could not move fast enough to save it. Do you really think he had time to deliberately play that ball? He fetched the ball out of his net and we restarted kick off !
Cheers

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

See Question: 29875