Where I can I find FIFA rules for refs? (Handball Question)

[Stogey23]

I've seen the FIFA "Laws of the Game" on their website, but where can I find an in-depth breakdown of how refs should call games?

The reason I ask is because there was some debate in my game last night about handballs. A player on my team handled the ball, but not deliberately. The ref blew the whistle and called a handball. If the whistle was not blown, my team would have retained possession and had advantage. My interpretation of the rules was that the call was correct, because intentional or not, our team gained advantage because of the handball. The offending player (who is a ref) said the referee was incorrect because he had not intentionally used his hand.

From what I know, the only time a ball is handled and there SHOULD NOT be a call is when a whistle would cease an advantage situation for the non-offending team.

Is there anywhere in FIFA's rules that define this? The offending player linked me to page 35 of FIFA's Laws of the Game, but it only defines when a free kick should be awarded and makes no mention of advantage. To his credit, it does say that a free kick should only be awarded when the handball is deliberate...but I swear this isn't right.

Thanks!

[MassachusettsRef]

I've seen the FIFA "Laws of the Game" on their website, but where can I find an in-depth breakdown of how refs should call games?

The reason I ask is because there was some debate in my game last night about handballs. A player on my team handled the ball, but not deliberately. The ref blew the whistle and called a handball. If the whistle was not blown, my team would have retained possession and had advantage. My interpretation of the rules was that the call was correct, because intentional or not, our team gained advantage because of the handball. The offending player (who is a ref) said the referee was incorrect because he had not intentionally used his hand.

From what I know, the only time a ball is handled and there SHOULD NOT be a call is when a whistle would cease an advantage situation for the non-offending team.

Is there anywhere in FIFA's rules that define this? The offending player linked me to page 35 of FIFA's Laws of the Game, but it only defines when a free kick should be awarded and makes no mention of advantage. To his credit, it does say that a free kick should only be awarded when the handball is deliberate...but I swear this isn't right.

Thanks!To put it as succinctly as possible: he's right, you're wrong.

The small passage in the Laws of the game that he cited is the authoratative word on handling offences. The various national associations (and FIFA, I believe, in their Q&A and Additional Instructions) have further instructions regarding how to judge whether an offence is deliberate or not, but advantage on non-deliberate handballs is never a factor in making handling calls.

[Crowdie]

When the ball hits a player's hand or arm it is one of two situations:

Ball To Hand (no offence)

* The hand/arm is stationary or moving away from the ball
or
* The hand is protecting the player's face/genitals (and in the case of women the chest area) in a reflex action
or
* The ball was moving so fast that the player never had any time to react and avoid the ball
or
* The player did not see the ball (the player was looking away from the ball, for example) so could not avoid it

Handball (direct free kick)

* The hand/arm is moving towards from the ball
or
* The hand/arm is in an un-natural position (For example, above the head)
or
* The player could have moved his/her hand/arm but decided not to

As you can see whether the player gets an advantage or not is not considered by the referee.

[refmike]

MassRef is correct. Your teammate's statement that an unintentional handball should not be called, even if he gains advantage is correct but you don't know what the ref thought he saw. If he decided that the handling was deliberate, and that includes having the hand in an unnatural position while the ball strikes it, then that decision cannot be questioned and the call would have been correct.

The full application of any law is made up of pieces placed throughout the book and flavered with the opinion of the referee. The advantage concept you mentioned is in law 5, not law 12 (where the deliberate handling item resides).

There is a compresensive disucssion of how this should be interpreted in the USSF Advice to Referees but it is advice only, based on the law book you have already seen. If you want to follow up on that, go to www.ussoccer.com and then look for Referees/Laws of the Game. The laws and advice are both there.

To really learn it all, take a referee course so you can get licensed and paid for being on that field you now pay to get to. It gives you a whole new perspective on the beautiful game.

[GreatZar]

Defender in his own penalty area has his hands wide on his body so as to be as big a obstacle as possible. Attacker receives crossing ball in the air and quick volleys towards goal and just happens to strike the defenders hands (sheer luck for the defender). The ball would have easily beat the keeper at the opposite side of the goal mouth.

What's the call. I'm defining this as clearly "ball-to-hand" for the center.

[Chubbywubby]

Defender in his own penalty area has his hands wide on his body so as to be as big a obstacle as possible. Attacker receives crossing ball in the air and quick volleys towards goal and just happens to strike the defenders hands (sheer luck for the defender). The ball would have easily beat the keeper at the opposite side of the goal mouth.

What's the call. I'm defining this as clearly "ball-to-hand" for the center.
Veracruz v. Toluca this past Wednesday. Veracruz attacker coming in to receive a cross has his arm extended straight out from his side and is swinging it forward as the ball deflects off a defender, directly into the attacker's outstretched arm, and into the goal. Unnatural arm position? Yeah, looked like it to me. Hand to ball? Definitely. Advantage? Duh! But the goal was allowed to stand since the attacker could not have avoided the deflected ball by moving his arm out of the way in time. Veracruz won the match 1-0. A gutsy no-call.

[HoldenMan]

don't forget it's all in the opinion of the referee. Some ref's are stricter on handballs than others. I've seen referees call handballs that I would never consider to be deliberate.

Great Zar - I agree, handball. Arms are in an unnatural position.

Chubbywubby - just a reminder that whether or not the attacker gets an advantage is irrelevant (I read your post as if it is a consideration for you) - but I didn't see the incident in question

[Chubbywubby]

Chubbywubby - just a reminder that whether or not the attacker gets an advantage is irrelevant (I read your post as if it is a consideration for you) - but I didn't see the incident in question
I mentioned advantage only in response to the poster who asked if it is a consideration. I cringe in disbelief when I hear other refs (and even some instructors) say that the call should be made if the offending team gains an advantage from an accidentally handled ball.

And btw, the "advantage" of having a non-deliberately handled ball land at your feet or in the back of the net is not the same as the "advantage" mentioned in Law 5.

[HoldenMan]

got it - i agree completely.

To me that's simply a cop-out - taking the easy option by awarding the handball instead of the goal that came indirectly from the ball accidentally touching the attacker's hand. (I'm just waiting for a completely accidental handball to block a shot on goal!).

What's also surprising - or should i say, frightening - is how many players, coaches and yes, referees (even at the high levels in local soccer) believe that there's no such thing as an accidental handball in the box.


The first time I heard that come from a first grade coach I was thinking, WTF??

Then my AR for that match, who is considered the best referee in my association (he got the first grade grand final) agreed with the coach!!!!


Oh dear..................

[Gary V]

What's also surprising - or should i say, frightening - is how many players, coaches and yes, referees (even at the high levels in local soccer) believe that there's no such thing as an accidental handball in the box.
I've heard it said that at the highest levels, professional and international, it would be very rare that any handball that greatly benefits the team could be unintentional - though they may make it look unintentional. Thus any apparent goal scored by an unintentional handball is looked at carefully through the "replay in the mind" to see if it truly were deliberate handling. Similar thinking on any unintentional handling that prevents a goal. (I know it can happen; it's just rare. USA-GER WC game as an example of a defensive non-handball non-call.)

In the way things get passed down, this quickly devolves to, "There's no such thing as an unintentional handball in the box." And the next step isn't a huge leap, "Any handball that benefits the team must be called." So we have local refs following - and promoting and propagating - that mistaken idea.

How myths are formed ... someone "hears" something that wasn't really said, and then passes it on as coming from an "authorative source".

[Caesar]

I've seen the FIFA "Laws of the Game" on their website, but where can I find an in-depth breakdown of how refs should call games? Not sure if this part has actually been fully addressed, so I'll give it a go. The rest of your question has been discussed fairly comprehensively already. :D

FIFA doesn't provide such a breakdown, and all referees are essentially taught from the "Laws Of The Game" exactly as they are presented on the FIFA website. These are clarified by the official Questions & Answers document which is found on the same page.

National associations also often provide additional directives and clarifications to referees. In the USA, USSF provides a document called 'Advice to Referees on the Laws Of The Game'. This document is authoritative only within the USA, and is essentially the basic LOTG with more detailed explanations. You can find it in the Referees section on the USSF website.