The New Handball Rule - This will make it simpler.....NOT!!!
The football rule book is constantly evolving and there are a number of new rules and amended interpretation of the rules introduced each season. This season, the biggie is the rule regarding handball.
So. Firstly, if a player scores a goal with the hand it's disallowed. No ifs or buts. The difference from the current rule is that accidental handballs would have allowed a goal to stand but now it won't. Unless you're a cheating bastard from Argentina whose name happens to be Maradona, in which case God would no doubt have diverted the ref's eyes away at a critical moment!
Following on from this, intent is no longer the big deciding factor as to whether to award a handball or not. The new rule says that if the arm or hand is making the body;
unnaturally bigger.
it is handball, and then goes on with the guideline that when the arm or hand is above the level of the shoulder, then this can;
rarely be a natural postion.
The same will apply to sticking your arm out as if attempting to stop a bus, this also makes the body 'unnaturally bigger'.
Hmmmmm. Any exceptions?
Oh yes. If a player has his hand touching the floor to support himself as in a sliding tackle or having just fallen over, then handball wouldn't be given!
Other cases in which handball won't be given are if a player accidentally heads the ball onto his own arm, or if the ball bounces off any of his other body parts!
Extra grace may be given if the ball accidentally deflects off a hand or arm or if it ricochets onto an arm or hand via another teammate and the ref decides that avoiding action couldn't be taken.
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), these rule changes are designed to clarify things for the officials and reduce the need for debate over what was intentional or not.
@nathen007