when is the next Dutch qualifying match? Agree about handballs--they are almost never intentional, and yet they get called a lot.
6 April 2018 Qualifying round (Group 3) Netherlands 20.00 Northern Ireland Referee: TBD – Stadium: PSV Stadion, Eindhoven (NED)
It doesnot matter if it's intentional. What matters is if the "handling" interfered with the balls trajectory into a safe position from the defending team's pov. In field hockey every ball touching a foot is always a penalty. It isnot open for any discussion.
The LOTG are clear Handling the ball Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with the hand or arm. The following must be considered: • the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand) • the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball) • the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an offence • touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) is an offence • hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) is an offence The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. Inside their penalty area, the goalkeeper cannot be guilty of a handling offence incurring a direct free kick or any related sanction but can be guilty of handling offences that incur an indirect free kick.
Well, all of this depends from interpretation. It's worth to notice that not so long ago most of players kept their arms close to the body or even behind back ie. while they were defending inside their own PK box. Handling of the ball still happened of course from time to time and ref's were facing tough calls. Then FIFA has decided to tweak the rules - underlining term of deliberation in the act of handling the ball - which in turn supposedly would make ref's job easier and at the same time would kept the game fluid with less fouls called... What happend though is what we all now see. An increase of contoversial situations of handling the ball cuz players are now often encouraged by coaches to spread their arms inside their own PK box while they defending to further their chances of stopping a dangerous ball. I would call it unfair but as long as they can claim that it was rebound or they didn't make a move with arm or hand towards the ball they do escape the foul or/and penalty call. It's spliting hairs or a deliberate act then? Imho since the new rule was introduced many of ref's seen in WoSo chose to follow rather safe letter of this law than risk ruling that may be percived as wrong. Unforunatelly by thus they're completely ignoring the spirit under which this law was made and all of it's wider aspects. The Law which was intended in it's core to help keeping free flow of the game - often along with general rule that favours an attacking side - is now cynically and unfair used against it. I wonder if we may yet witness times when defenders will act like handball goalie inside their own PK and then argue with the ref's - Hey! my hand didn't move an inch towards the ball, it's not my fault that opponent hit me with her shot in my arm that was fully streched to the side, it's not handling!
The biggest problem is there : interpretation. All the referees have different views on handball. Some will give nothing while other will give a pen, plus a yellow or a red card for the same offense.
Just to add to the discussion, I guess I never seen a more "deliberate" handball than Chicago's Colaprico's in last match-day of NWSL vs Portland. You can see in in these highlights at about 1'32". Could anyone ever question THIS call (PK + YC)?
I'd think about Maradona's hand of god or Henry's one in WC qualifier against Ireland...heh, or Heath in OG final in London
Yes, I was being quite hyperbolic. What I meant is that Colaprico's handball was as clearly deliberate as it gets and there are calls that shouldn't actually be questioned, no matter the letter of the rule. It's a fact that the fould you listed were even more crystal-clear, but weren't actually called.
It's not really hard to read the player's mind in most case ie you can see the intent ie the arm/shoulder movement . But yeah this is a subjective interpretation from the the referees.
if you can get past all the spam, here's a pretty good game, Switzerland vs Scotland, most of the big names are there, just can;t figure why both teams throw 'new names' upfront, score at half time is Swiss 1, Scotland 0 http://sportlemon.top/footy/switzerland-w-vs-scotland-w-sl97i01?l=1825573608
Tonight's action: GROUP 1 Bosnia Herzegovina 1-6 Russia Todua 5(og) - Danilova 26,82, Galay 39, Morozova 53(p), Smirnova 58,90+2 GROUP 2 Switzerland 1-0 Scotland Dickenmann 32 GROUP 4 Croatia 0-3 Ukraine Bosnjak 25(og), Kozyrenko 41,45+3 Hungary 1-4 Sweden Vago 63 - Seger 17, Jakobsson 25, Blackstenius 87, Larsson 90+3 GROUP 7 Austria 1-1 Serbia Lazarevic 32(og) - Radojicic 5
This new Scotland still looks to much "green". Little is quite fine player in her own right but as the case goes with Fishlock or Castelanos in their teams - one do need at least few decent players to play with in order for whole to succeed. Still Scots may pose a challange for much improved Polish team in Tuesday's match, although they need to work on their energy levels.
SUI likely locked up the group with that results - they haven't dropped points yet, and have beaten both potential chasers. That said, they haven't played away to either of those potential chasers yet, so POL and SCO can still make this interesting if everyone wins at home. Even if SUI has locked up #1, still open as to who gets #2. SWE has a fairly good grip on group 4 now, but they haven't actually played a match yet against either of their two potential chasers (their match against DEN was a forfeit). Both UKR and DEN have dropped points already, (though DEN hasn't actually dropped a game played because, again, forfeit,) so I'm guessing it's just a race for #2 between them. I'm glad to see ESP's rival AUT have a little slip-up there. X-D
the funny thing with Scotland is that besides Little, they got a bevy of top English League players like Ross & Weir came in 1st & 2nd one year in league scoring. Evans a noted winger for Man City, previously, Potsdam & Bayern Munich. Fairly newcomers, Esmelie & Culbert, were once up for rookies of the year, Look at their 3-back lineup; Beattie won championships as starter the same year with Man City & Melbourne City. Corsie won the shield with Seattle Reign & Howard is fine start for the Bund team, SC Sand. An then they got a Scot that leads the Italian League in scoring. So I've never seen a team with that much talent, but is so underwhelming, In the meantime, the Swiss are running away with their group https://us.women.soccerway.com/inte...fying-europe/2019/group-stage/group-b/g10891/ while obviously the vets took charge with excellent play from Dickenmann, Bachmann, Waiti & ANC,. those very athletic looking newbies like Lehmann, Calgaris & Buhler were giving them an oomph that took control over the slow moving Scots. Once those newbies blossom; watch out!
Swiss were smart, moment they scored they moved wide and ping the ball twice from side to side before starting almost every action. Scots which seemed at first like they can run whole year an then some, suddenly went empty before the end of 1st half. Yeah I agree they have quality players but after only 6 months of work with new coach they still aren't cohesive enough. Swiss talents look promissing but imho they need in ther to look more into replacing old Dickenmann's not Bachmann's.
Dickenmann & the GK, Thalmann, are both 32, the way they were playing, should be good for next year. Bachmann & AMC are only 27 years old, & could last another WC after France. Then the next core, Walti(24) Maritz(22) Caligaris(22) Lehmann(19) could have as many as 3 WC cycles in them. Right now the Swiss are transition(, they've have had quite a few players retire or possibly out on long term injury' Moser, Abbe, Bernauer, Burki, Humm were all established German Bundi players. They might loose their coach though; she's is on the short list for the German NT job
I don't share your cynical take on handballs. I don't think coaches are encouraging players to spread their arms in the box--that would be way too risky and it is crazy to suggest that they do. Even most "intentional" handballs are simply reflexive actions by the player when a ball is hit at or toward them from a short distance. No one can really play defense effectively with their arms behind their backs. In any case, I think the officials do a decent job of interpreting the rule.
Well, yes, although there are notable exceptions: Colaprico's handball I posted about above wasn't "reflexive", was actually intentional. Not sure how she was hoping to get away with it, but anyway she clearly tried.
Fair enough, what I see though are increased numbers of cotroversial situations concerning handball offence while they all should be dropping in numbers and more and more players trying to manipulate the rules to get their way.
Some important games today : Finland v Spain England v Wales 30 000 + expected Belgium v Portugal Netherlands v Northern Ireland 30 000 + expected
Italy sits in front of the screen with pop-corns and hopes Portugal can take points away from Belgium. (After winning in Moldova some minutes ago, by "just" 1-3: phew ).