[blech]

My refereeing of a game this weekend was questioned because of (in my opinion) a couple of inadvertent handballs where I allowed play to continue. On both, a player was coming up for a tackle, and from less than a yard or two, the ball was kicked up toward their hand at the side of their body. In both cases, the hand was off the body, let's say a comfortable 12", and in both cases the ball struck the hand and then rebounded down to the ground behind the player whose hand had been struck.

I felt the ball struck the hand, rather than the other way around. I also in these kind of situations try to ask myself whether I would give a penalty kick for the play if it were in the box (and then apply that standard no matter where it is on the field). I didn't see it, but a parent on one team (who is also a referee in the league) stated that on the second handball the player clinched his fist just before the ball hit it and that this unfairly changed the deflection and would have resulted in his making the call. I didn't see it that way, and am not sure if that would have changed my call. The real question for me has always been whether I feel the player could have gotten his hand/arm out of the way had he really tried.

Just curious as to what other tricks or hints people have for determining when the ball has been handled intentionally.

[kevbrunton]

If it's from less than a yard or two away, I don't think it's humanly possible for the player to have REACTED to the ball coming to their hand and have made a fist. It is possible that he/she clenched his/her fist in anticipation of contact (either with the other player or the ball) simply to keep fingers from getting injured.

For my book, I have to see CLEAR movement of the arm toward the ball or into position to play the ball.

90% or more of the time, the arm is actually moving away from the ball in an attempt to get out of the way when the ball strikes it.

[Statesman]

Most handling cases are not deliberate, and the ones you describe seem to be good no-calls. The main thing to watch for is when the player seemingly makes accidental contact with the ball, but in fact was positioning himself in such a way that the contact was indeed deliberate. For example, the "blocked" goal by the German defender in the WC2k2 match vs USA where he puts his forearm in a "reactionary" position but then actually scoots into the ball to block it. He uses his forearm as an extension to occupy a larger area, and got away with it.

Also take into consideration the experience level of the players. I don't think you'll see any deliberate "accidental" contact until you get into the comp and premiere levels. If they purposely use their arms to occupy more space and it makes contact with the ball, it is handling.

[Greyhnd00]

I love the "im a referee too" people.......If this guy could see a player clinch his fist then he isnt a referee he is superman.....If he is a referee he knows that the result doesnt matter. i briefed a new AR this weekend, "it doesnt matter if it stops a goal, goes in the goal or up the players but, if it isn deliberate or thier hands arent in an unnatural playing position.......no call!"
You have to have guts to make the nocall but if you are consistant the players will recognize it.

[MarioKempes]

Sounds like good calls, Blech.
Please note that whatever call you make, at least 50% of the parents will not agree with it. Most parents are full of crap anyway. Better to ignore them, as they usually don't know the rules and don't understand the game.

[MarioKempes]

Originally posted by Statesman
For example, the "blocked" goal by the German defender in the WC2k2 match vs USA where he puts his forearm in a "reactionary" position but then actually scoots into the ball to block it. He uses his forearm as an extension to occupy a larger area, and got away with it.

That's a pretty debatable interpretation of what happened. I didn't see it that way at all. I saw it as completely ball to hand. In fact, I saw Frings move his hand back a few frames before the unfortunate deflection to reduce the odds of it getting hit in the future. I will have to have a look at the video again to see if I can see what you are talking about.

Ah yes, the handball call of the century, whatever side you're on.

[lanman]

Originally there was no such thing as unintentional handball. A free-kick was given if a player gained advantage from handling the ball, whether it was ball to hand or hand to ball. If no advantage was deemed to have occurred, then it was not deemed an offence. I'm not sure when this was changed, however, but I believe it was a considerable time ago.

[jotadia]

Originally posted by lanman
Originally there was no such thing as unintentional handball. A free-kick was given if a player gained advantage from handling the ball, whether it was ball to hand or hand to ball. If no advantage was deemed to have occurred, then it was not deemed an offence. I'm not sure when this was changed, however, but I believe it was a considerable time ago.

I have a simple question. "Is a handball in the box a penalty?"

[lanman]

Originally posted by jotadia


I have a simple question. "Is a handball in the box a penalty?"

If intentional, yes. Otherwise no. It's all down to the individual referees interpretation of "intentional".

[Statesman]

Originally posted by MarioKempes


That's a pretty debatable interpretation of what happened. I didn't see it that way at all. I saw it as completely ball to hand. In fact, I saw Frings move his hand back a few frames before the unfortunate deflection to reduce the odds of it getting hit in the future. I will have to have a look at the video again to see if I can see what you are talking about.

Ah yes, the handball call of the century, whatever side you're on.

That may be the case, but the way I described it does illustrate my point nicely and is a situation I'm sure everybody is familiar with. That was my intention rather than bringing up the controversy behind the actual non-call itself and "what REALLY happened." To discuss the actual occurance itself should go in a new thread, of which it would join quite a few on the exact same topic discussed to death previously.