Question Number: 35875

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/26/2026

RE: Competitive Adult

peter babbage of Hjørring, North Denmark Region Denmark asks...

Reading a review of a recent EPL match it said that a player accidentally handled a shot going into the goal. For this a penalty kick was awarded and a yellow card shown. Surely if the ball just strikes a defender it calls into question if its a penalty and why would he receive a caution. Surely the very word caution implies not to do it again when if the ball has merely struck the player he could in theory get a red card when it happens again with no intent whatsoever

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
Thanks for the question
In the LotG 24/25 there was a change to Law 12 where it stated and I quote
** There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour, including if a player.
denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence**

This was a significant change to the Law and it was clarification that non-deliberate handball offences for which penalties are awarded are to be sanctioned in the same way as fouls which are an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball.

It bring into question the difference between a deliberate and non deliberate handling.

Non-deliberate handball offences are usually the result of a player attempting to play fairly (e.g. the ball makes contact with the hand/arm when it has made the players body unnaturally bigger).
If the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence which
# denied the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) the offender is cautioned (yellow card)
# interfered with or stopped a promising attack (SPA) there is no card for the offender
When a penalty kick is awarded for DOGSO, deliberate handball (e.g. moving the hand/arm towards the ball) remains a red-card offence, as it is similar to holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.

In situations where the ball merely strikes a players arm / hand in a natural position, it can be deemed no offence and therefore play continues.
As always deliberate handball is a judgement call and each situation is treated on its merits by referees.
So depending on the referees interpretation the contact on the arm / hand it could be called as handling or no offence and based on the situation it could result in play on or a penalty kick with no card or a caution or a dismissal.




Read other questions answered by Referee Joe McHugh

View Referee Joe McHugh profile