Handball in football

As a qualified referee, I am getting sick to death of all the grey area there are in the rules.

The main one is handball, are the hands down by your side, is the player looking at the ball, is his hand/arm out to the ball, and he could not get out of the way of the ball from that range. Why not say that if the ball hits the arm or hand, then it is hand ball? Like in hockey, and the ball coming into contact with the foot. This would make things more consistant when refereeing in this area.

This comes up in nearly every game these days, and I have given penalties for hand ball and other times though perhaps he did not mean it. You have to think about to many different things before giving the decision. Keep it nice and easy and it it hits the hand then it is handball.

Another thing that has come in, is it does not matter if you win the ball clean with a tackle, you can still book or send off a player it you deem the challenge to be dangerous. Stupid rule.

Another one is hands on players backs on throw in's and when marking someone. I never give a free kick for this unless pressure is applied (shove or push) and not just resting on the players shoulder, or back. Ok you could say that this is another grey area!

Is there any other rules in football you would like to see changed to make things more simple?

Yes. I would like to see a 'sin bin' introduced for yellow cards. Like rugby. Get a yellow and you are off for 10 minutes.

The problem with football is that so many of the laws of the game are qualified with "in the opinion of the referee". While it gives most of us extra things to discuss down the pub, it certainly doesn't help officials' decision-making that there are so many grey areas, and FIFA have often over-complicated things with unnecessary clauses, caveats and extra directives to officials.

The handball rule should be simplified, much like the "foot" rule in hockey, so that *any* contact with the hand/arm is penalised no matter what the situation. It makes it much clearer. Yes, it introduces the scenario where an attacker can then play for a penalty by aiming for a defender's arm, but that's not much different from a player drawing a foul from an opponent.

What also doesn't help is that pundits and commentators often don't know the rules. The offside one is obviously the main one here, and I still despair at the number of people who think there has to be "daylight" between a defender and the attacker for him to be deemed offside

Also, the general bemusement of pundits when a player gets a yellow card for what seems an innocuous foul, completely ignoring the fact that that's the 6th free kick he's given away in the game. "Persistently infringing the laws of the game" is probably the most common reason for a yellow card to be issued.

The offside one is obviously the main one here, and I still despair at the number of people who think there has to be "daylight" between a defender and the attacker for him to be deemed offside

Exactly. And anyway, what happens when it is a night game in the winter? No one would ever be offside.

The problem with football is that so many of the laws of the game are qualified with "in the opinion of the referee". While it gives most of us extra things to discuss down the pub, it certainly doesn't help officials' decision-making that there are so many grey areas, and FIFA have often over-complicated things with unnecessary clauses, caveats and extra directives to officials.

 

The handball rule should be simplified, much like the "foot" rule in hockey, so that *any* contact with the hand/arm is penalised no matter what the situation. It makes it much clearer. Yes, it introduces the scenario where an attacker can then play for a penalty by aiming for a defender's arm, but that's not much different from a player drawing a foul from an opponent.

 

What also doesn't help is that pundits and commentators often don't know the rules. The offside one is obviously the main one here, and I still despair at the number of people who think there has to be "daylight" between a defender and the attacker for him to be deemed offside

 

Also, the general bemusement of pundits when a player gets a yellow card for what seems an innocuous foul, completely ignoring the fact that that's the 6th free kick he's given away in the game. "Persistently infringing the laws of the game" is probably the most common reason for a yellow card to be issued.

Another one here is 'That was a really late flag, or whistle by the referee', when we are told to let play go on, to see if the ball runs through to the keeper, so the game can continue, or to see if there is an advantage. I always try and let the game continue where I can.

Yes. I would like to see a 'sin bin' introduced for yellow cards. Like rugby. Get a yellow and you are off for 10 minutes.

I have this is the 6 a side that I referee. Yellow card and the player has to leave the filed for 2 minutes with no replacement. The yellow should also still stand as well as leaving the field, so another yellow and you are off!

The handball one really gets me, so really I can decide if it is a handball or not, and sometimes I will not give the handball, which I might give the next game, or even later on in the same game. I try and be consistant, but when it is not possible in the same game (might see it from a different angle than before), then there is a problem.

Handball should be handball.

Some of the rule changes over time have caused this problem. Handball used to be easy, ball to hand no, hand to ball yes, covering vital parts when hit no. Any hand on a player wherever and for whatever reason should be a foul there is no place in football for hands to be used in any way. Letting it go just makes it worse. It's a blight on the game. Years ago if somebody grabbed a shirt it usually ended with an elbow somewhere and referees let it go. What idiot thought up the latest offside debacle, either make it when the ball is played without any played on by contact with an opponent or get rid of it altogether.

Maybe all the outfield players should have their hands pinioned behind their backs. Be funny watching them waddle along like penguins!

i would like to see the 18 yard line extended out to the touchline, and only have offside in the 18 yard zone.

also, I would like a sin bin, for things like deliberate fouls where a yellow isn't really enough punishment, but its not a red, EG the "cynical" foul in midfield.

Came up again tonight with Ashley Cole, but I am not sure if the referee saw it at all. I am not sure how the ref or the lino did not see it though, as it was very clear.

Also the goal that was given offside for Spurs, he handballed it anyway. ok up near the shoulder but it was off the top of his arm, so handball, and Sky Sports keep banging on about how he was not offside!!

Send all tatters on referee courses!!

i would like to see the 18 yard line extended out to the touchline, and only have offside in the 18 yard zone.

 

also, I would like a sin bin, for things like deliberate fouls where a yellow isn't really enough punishment, but its not a red, EG the "cynical" foul in midfield.

God no.

Do you remember all the BS before USA hosted the WC? All the talk about how footie would never catch on in the States unless the 'field' was colour-zoned etc. No thanks.

God no.

 

Do you remember all the BS before USA hosted the WC? All the talk about how footie would never catch on in the States unless the 'field' was colour-zoned etc. No thanks.

ok. I respect your opinion.(full of xmas goodwill !!) But how does having offsides 2 yards inside the defending half make the game better?

ok. I respect your opinion.(full of xmas goodwill !!) But how does having offsides 2 yards inside the defending half make the game better?

How does it make it worse?

The rules are the rules!

on a slightly different note, can anyone remember the year in which the 'pass back' rule (to the keeper) was introduced?

Came up again tonight with Ashley Cole, but I am not sure if the referee saw it at all. I am not sure how the ref or the lino did not see it though, as it was very clear.

 

Also the goal that was given offside for Spurs, he handballed it anyway. ok up near the shoulder but it was off the top of his arm, so handball, and Sky Sports keep banging on about how he was not offside!!

 

Send all tatters on referee courses!!

That was because the linesman flagged it as offside !

That was because the linesman flagged it as offside !

Yes but igonored the fact that he handballed it anyway!! lol

on a slightly different note, can anyone remember the year in which the 'pass back' rule (to the keeper) was introduced?

1992.

on a slightly different note, can anyone remember the year in which the 'pass back' rule (to the keeper) was introduced?

Think it was early nineties, maybe 91?

Another thing I have noticed in the last year or so is the keep will stand with the ball at his feet, when wasting time. There of course nothing wrong with this, and it up to a palyer to close the keeper down so that they pick the ball up, to trigger the 6 second rule. Often they will hold the ball, put it down the ball down a dribble it, and then wait for a challenge.

I think there should be a rule for this, as it does waste time, as attacking players retreat once the keeper has the ball, only to notice they have to run towards the keeper so he kicks the ball.

Brighton did this last season.

The other time wasting is taking the goal kick the other side to where it does out of play.

Another thing I have noticed in the last year or so is the keep will stand with the ball at his feet, when wasting time. There of course nothing wrong with this, and it up to a palyer to close the keeper down so that they pick the ball up, to trigger the 6 second rule. Often they will hold the ball, put it down the ball down a dribble it, and then wait for a challenge.

 

I think there should be a rule for this, as it does waste time, as attacking players retreat once the keeper has the ball, only to notice they have to run towards the keeper so he kicks the ball.

 

Brighton did this last season.

 

The other time wasting is taking the goal kick the other side to where it does out of play.

When I was in primary school I remember that the keeper (usually me) was only allowed to take a maximum of 3 paces whilst holding the ball. I guess that was just 'school rules'.

The other time wasting is taking the goal kick the other side to where it does out of play.

Originally the kick had to be taken from the correct side. The option was introduced 'to save time'.

How does it make it worse?

 

The rules are the rules!

it compresses the game unnecessarily, gives a totally unnecessary advantage to defences, encourages teams to use the offside rule as a defence, and makes exciting attacking play more difficult.

Apart from that its a great rule !!

it compresses the game unnecessarily, gives a totally unnecessary advantage to defences, encourages teams to use the offside rule as a defence, and makes exciting attacking play more difficult.

 

Apart from that its a great rule !!

I reckon the width of the goal should be the width of the pitch. It would result in many more goals.

I reckon the width of the goal should be the width of the pitch. It would result in many more goals.

Not enough width for me....

Originally the kick had to be taken from the correct side. The option was introduced 'to save time'.

Oh and how that one backfired. But players will always find time to time waste and to break up play.

For me though if you are losing 1-0 and you are going into the last few minutes, well it is your own fault, you have had plenty of time to stick the ball in the net.

Brighton though came for the draw right from the start, with the keeper often standin there with the ball at his feet!!

Interesting topic.

I'm also a referee and it takes a lot for me to actually give a handball. Unless they have obviously tried to handle it, I only give a free-kick if it strikes the arm when the arm is a considerable distance away from the body. If it's down by the side or against the chest there's no way I would give it.

If it is kicked at the arm, but the arm is out to the side, where there is no need for it to be, I consider it handball.

Commentators really annoy me too, with their complete lack of knowledge on the laws of the game. They seem to find it "harsh" if a red card is given along with a penalty, it's an 'obvious goal-scoring opportunity' you tit.

One that most players seem clueless on is goal kicks; You CANNOT be offside.

or throw ins.

what if two attackers break out with no defenders between them and the keeper. The ball is with the attacker furthest away from keeper who then passes it forwards to the second attacker. Off side?

Agree with all the above, and do not get me started with the offside from a goalkick. When I run the line in the Cambridgeshire Bis League 1A, which is an ok level, but every goal kick they would be shouting for offside, and no matter how many times I tell them that you cannot be offside from a goalkick, it does not seem to sink it. They seem to have the offsides from a throw in drilled into them though!!

what if two attackers break out with no defenders between them and the keeper. The ball is with the attacker furthest away from keeper who then passes it forwards to the second attacker. Off side?

Offside, unless the second attacker comes from behind the ball. Does not matter if the ball is passed forwards as long as the player being passed to comes from behind the ball. If in front of it, he is clearly offside!

While making all hand ball incidents in the box a automatic penalty award would I suppose make life easier for referee's, I'm far from convinced it would benefit the wider game, or further the interests of what we might call natural justice.

The laws of the game have evolved over a great many years, and its outstanding world wide success seems to suggest that there's not that much wrong with them. Frankly, to make a change this fundamental I'd want to see a case made that is rather more substantial than the one put forward here.

I say that all rules (or laws) should be open to interpretation by a human being, rather than automatically enforced by a unthinking robot. If the price we pay for that latitude is that decisions made are not always consistent, or that some are deemed to be a case of human error, then to my way of thinking that is a price worth paying.

Ultimately match officials are there to serve the game - where the hell does it say that their job is supposed to be easy ?

Offside, unless the second attacker comes from behind the ball. Does not matter if the ball is passed forwards as long as the player being passed to comes from behind the ball. If in front of it, he is clearly offside!

What happens if a worm hole opens up just behind the attacker with the ball with the other end just in front of the forward-most attacker. If the ball is then passed backwards into the worm hole and re-appears just in front of the second attacker is it still off side?

Another thing I have noticed in the last year or so is the keep will stand with the ball at his feet, when wasting time. There of course nothing wrong with this, and it up to a palyer to close the keeper down so that they pick the ball up, to trigger the 6 second rule. Often they will hold the ball, put it down the ball down a dribble it, and then wait for a challenge.

 

I think there should be a rule for this, as it does waste time, as attacking players retreat once the keeper has the ball, only to notice they have to run towards the keeper so he kicks the ball.

 

Brighton did this last season.

 

The other time wasting is taking the goal kick the other side to where it does out of play.

It was my understanding that the 6-second rule was removed?

Also, I've got no real problem with the goal kick rule, as long as the ball is in the six-yard box. It's up to the referee to stamp out obvious time-wasting.

I'd be in favour of a system (which would realistically only work at professional level) where stoppage time is regulated by the amount of time the ball is actually in play. According to Opta, in the Premier League this season, the ball has been in play for 67% of the time, which works out at about an hour of actual playing time for every 90 minutes. Based on that average, we can do away with the nominal addition of 30 seconds for every goal and substitution (which could clearly take more or less than 30 seconds each time) and simply play until there has been 30 minutes of *actual* play in each half. Fans are getting short-changed more and more by various time-wasting techniques employed by teams who employ methods that referees aren't strong enough to put a stop to, so this way would ensure they're getting a guaranteed amount of actual playing time.

What happens if a worm hole opens up just behind the attacker with the ball with the other end just in front of the forward-most attacker. If the ball is then passed backwards into the worm hole and re-appears just in front of the second attacker is it still off side?

It's the position of the player receiving that matters, not the direction of the pass. You cannot be offside if, amongst other things, at the time the ball is kicked you are behind the ball, in your own half, not nearer to the goal than the second to last defender, from a throw-in, corner or goal-kick. It doesn't have to be a worm-hole. Rabbit holes, badger setts, sewage pipes are equally as good.

throw ins are never off side.

It was my understanding that the 6-second rule was removed?

It's still there, Law 12.

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame/index.html

It's the position of the player receiving that matters, not the direction of the pass. You cannot be offside if, amongst other things, at the time the ball is kicked you are behind the ball, in your own half, not nearer to the goal than the second to last defender, from a throw-in, corner or goal-kick. It doesn't have to be a worm-hole. Rabbit holes, badger setts, sewage pipes are equally as good.

So what if a very, very massive object (say a black hole) hovered just above the playing surface resulting in a warp in the space-time continuum such that the forward-most player appeared to be behind the ball but in reality was not? Off side? And how would the ref proof it? And would the TV cameras be able to pick up the picture or would the light be sucked ever-deeper into the black hole?

I really think that FIFA should make it clear what happens in the event that a black hole opens up at SMS.

Oooooh, 'referee friends' I'm also a referee and from experiance, watching top premier league refs to non league refs near enough every rule has some kind of grey area, with everyone interpreting things differently..

Would like to see retrospective yellows and reds for diving. Forget all this 'undermining the ref' ********. There would be a spate of them and then the ref's job would be made easier from then onwards. Also, none of his 'the ref saw it and dealt with it' ******** either. If the ref gives a yellow and it should have been a red then upgrade to a red.

It was my understanding that the 6-second rule was removed?

 

Also, I've got no real problem with the goal kick rule, as long as the ball is in the six-yard box. It's up to the referee to stamp out obvious time-wasting.

 

I'd be in favour of a system (which would realistically only work at professional level) where stoppage time is regulated by the amount of time the ball is actually in play. According to Opta, in the Premier League this season, the ball has been in play for 67% of the time, which works out at about an hour of actual playing time for every 90 minutes. Based on that average, we can do away with the nominal addition of 30 seconds for every goal and substitution (which could clearly take more or less than 30 seconds each time) and simply play until there has been 30 minutes of *actual* play in each half. Fans are getting short-changed more and more by various time-wasting techniques employed by teams who employ methods that referees aren't strong enough to put a stop to, so this way would ensure they're getting a guaranteed amount of actual playing time.

No time wasting by holding the ball to long is a big thing in the youth league. Gave an indirect free kick just a couple of weeks ago. If you think about it, there could a large amount of time wasting in this area.

As I mentioned the goalkeeper controlling the ball with his hands and the attackers retreating only to find the keeper stood there with the ball at his feet waiting to be closed down! This wastes a lot of time, but it is in open play, so nothing wrong with it.

I agree that it is up to the referee to ref the games as he see's fit, but within the laws. I love refereeing, and you always have one team that are not happy with you, and another that is! the losing team do not tend to shake your hand at the end, as much as the winning team, and you always have a moany player in each team, at least one that is.

I'll say this having run the line for kids games and doubting a few offsides that I gave, and didn't give.....I looked it up on a website, and allegedly, a linesman has one tenth of a second to make a decision, hence the human error element.

Apparantly, with regard to interfering with play, a player really either needs to be on his mobile to his missus or tying his bootlaces, to be considered not to be interfering with play. If he so much as farts in the direction of play, he is interfering with play.

All this taken into consideration.......Football is primarily entertainment.....and some of these dodgy decisions are pure entertainment! Take that out of the game.....it wouldn't be the same.

Would like to see retrospective yellows and reds for diving. Forget all this 'undermining the ref' ********. There would be a spate of them and then the ref's job would be made easier from then onwards. Also, none of his 'the ref saw it and dealt with it' ******** either. If the ref gives a yellow and it should have been a red then upgrade to a red.

Yep, absolutely. Until the authorities stamp out cheating it will always blight the game, as the players and managers won't take it into their own hands to sort it out. A few lengthy bans will make players think twice, and force the managers to stamp it out.