Yeah, that’s who I was complimenting. Webb clearly opted to make a sustained statement—it seems like a written statement. This doesn’t read like an interview.
Well, MLS has not implemented the changes to the handball rules made by the IFAB last spring, since they occurred after the season started. As far as I know, they are not being implemented until the 2020 MLS season. MassRef, maybe you can clarify the differences between the current MLS rules and the new IFAB rules that will go into effect next season, because it seems like I have misunderstood them. And if someone like me (an educated fan who has been watching the game for 30+ years) is confused about the handball rules, then FIFA has a big problem on their hands....
The stuff codified in the 2019 IFAB LotG has been (with the exception of handball->GSO) the same stuff instructed for the last 2-3 years via the Futuro materials. So... there aren't (other than the handball->GSO bit) really any changes. Just clarifications.
Right. And also “intent” (i.e. deliberate) is still quite relevant as it’s the first factor. Additionally, the scenario where a ball comes off the head of a player who is close is explicitly spelled out as something that is not a handball offence (unless the handball was deliberate or the body was unnaturally bigger or the arm was above the shoulder). There’s obviously an element of judgment in both of these, but nothing in the law changes would result in a different interpretation. If anything, the law changes give a little more support to the non-calls. But I think they are both good calls either way (with the one closer to the goal line being the tougher decision of the two).
Agree with both comments above. There is a myth that the changes removed deliberate, but they did not (except in the very narrow case of an attacker who scores or creates a goal scoring opportunity). Handling is still deliberate. The guidance is not about removing deliberate, but explaining what deliberate really means in certain situations. (And trying to better harmonize the understanding of what deliberate is across different soccer cultures.)
They're going to toss out the largest news organization in the Southeast if Doug asks why they benched Pity?
I've read it as more along the lines of finally acknowledging that deliberate and intentional are synonymous. Deliberately handling is always a foul....and then you have your scenarios to determine if there was an offense if the intent wasn't clear, which quite frankly is most of the time.
Thanks for the comment - I just actually read the IFAB clarifications and it's really good. It covers what I thought I knew about handling, but also covers stuff that I thought was less clearly spelled out or was league-specific guidance. https://www.theifab.com/laws/chapter/32/section/92/