"HANDBALL"

It appears that the handball rule change combined with VAR might be the biggest story of the WWC.

It wouldn’t be so bad except that the punishment for even an unintentional one in the box is a pk. And the pk is so close to goal that it almost always converts. Somethings going to have to give: either fix the pk rule or modify again the handball rule.
 
It wouldn’t be so bad except that the punishment for even an unintentional one in the box is a pk. And the pk is so close to goal that it almost always converts. Somethings going to have to give: either fix the pk rule or modify again the handball rule.

The call was hard to make before the change, but at least it was logical. Now defenders are being called for almost all contact - except I did see one waved off when a ball hit a defender's hand in front of her torso.

I'm not recommending this, but -- I am wondering if some player might without warning kick a ball at a referee from three yards away and then ask him why he didn't put his hands up to defend himself.
 
I agree with a lot the article has to say. You will still get referees to differ on what they believe is deliberate handling.

As written, the new LOTG have dramatically reduced the importance of deliberate (the concept of hand to ball is also gone). Maybe application will be different, but based on what I've seen so far in WWC it doesn't appear to be so.

As a matter, of note the summary of LOTG changes mentions that handballs can be "accidental", the actual LOTG for 19/20 doesn't use that term.
 
Love this from the article:

As for the handball rule, its scope should be reduced. Only intentional ones should be whistled, no matter where on the field they occur. As long as players aren’t swatting at balls, or blocking them like a keeper would, or picking them up and running like an American footballer would, why, exactly, do we need to police them so strictly?

Now, “intentional,” to be clear, would include even the slightest instinctive movement of the arm into a position that could possibly make it more likely to come into contact with the ball. But that 50/50 challenge in midfield where the ball randomly pops up and hits an arm? Please, just play on.
 
As written, the new LOTG have dramatically reduced the importance of deliberate (the concept of hand to ball is also gone). Maybe application will be different, but based on what I've seen so far in WWC it doesn't appear to be so.

As a matter, of note the summary of LOTG changes mentions that handballs can be "accidental", the actual LOTG for 19/20 doesn't use that term.
There is specific mention of both hand to ball and the term "accidental" is in there as well, actually.

Deliberate now means exactly that, a very deliberate action of handling the ball.

Overall, I think the handball rewrite makes it clearer and easier to understand. It requires more thinking, but less understanding of the game, if that makes sense.
 
There is specific mention of both hand to ball and the term "accidental" is in there as well, actually.

Deliberate now means exactly that, a very deliberate action of handling the ball.

Ok my reading comprehension is a little off. There is reference to ball to hand, but only as a subset of possible infractions not as a primary consideraton as it was in the previous laws.

In the actual new text of the laws "accidental" is only mentioned as it relates to goals scored off a hand/arm.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xKmACRxr4OXkg_nJ9dAHX7XOY3C_ikb5/view

• scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental,
including by the goalkeeper

However, in the LOTG changes summary (as opposed to the actual text of the law), IFAB had "accidental" applying to all the primary handball offences: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A76gwnR9lW9nA2w2nyAj74y5s-W1BtNt/view

• The following ‘handball’ situations, even if accidental, will be a free kick:
• the ball goes into the goal after touching an attacking player’s hand/arm
• a player gains control/possession of the ball after it has touches their hand/arm
and then scores, or creates a goal-scoring opportunity
• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm which has made their body unnaturally
bigger
• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm when it is above their shoulder (unless the
player has deliberately played the ball which then touches their hand/arm)

Based on what I've seen in the WWC they clearly are considering that a handball can be "accidental" and still an offence in all handball situations. PK's are now being awarded for obviously accidental handballs inside the box solely because a players hand was away from their body but still in a natural position. This seems harsh to me, particularly when you consider most of the PK calls were on crosses and not shots on frame from the attacker. If I'm an attacker and don't have an open teammate in the box then I'm certainly going to try and kick the ball at an opponents hand. I appreciate the concept of promoting attacking soccer, but defenders are going to be severely hamstrung by having to play with their arms behind their backs and not raising their arms above their shoulders for a header (which makes it impossible to reach any sort of height to clear the ball in the air).
 
Based on what I've seen in the WWC they clearly are considering that a handball can be "accidental" and still an offence in all handball situations. PK's are now being awarded for obviously accidental handballs inside the box solely because a players hand was away from their body but still in a natural position. This seems harsh to me, particularly when you consider most of the PK calls were on crosses and not shots on frame from the attacker. If I'm an attacker and don't have an open teammate in the box then I'm certainly going to try and kick the ball at an opponents hand. I appreciate the concept of promoting attacking soccer, but defenders are going to be severely hamstrung by having to play with their arms behind their backs and not raising their arms above their shoulders for a header (which makes it impossible to reach any sort of height to clear the ball in the air).

Agree but I highly doubt an organization as arrogant as the IFAB is going to admit they made a mistake by going backwards, particularly given the lobby that pushed for the change. Given as well the controversies of goalkeepers leaving the line and VAR review out of this WWC, and given that with enforcement of that rule it's an automatic goal given to the team awarded the penalty, it's time for a change to the penalty rule. Noting that the IFAB will likely never move the spot back (and therefore require a reworking of thousands upon thousands of pitches around the world), maybe the time to consider the proposal to change most fouls (except egregious ones and DOGSO) in the box to DFKs. Another tweak which would be less intrusive but also fix the VAR issue is to allow the goalkeeper to move as soon as the ref whistles.
 
Agree but I highly doubt an organization as arrogant as the IFAB is going to admit they made a mistake by going backwards, particularly given the lobby that pushed for the change. Given as well the controversies of goalkeepers leaving the line and VAR review out of this WWC, and given that with enforcement of that rule it's an automatic goal given to the team awarded the penalty, it's time for a change to the penalty rule. Noting that the IFAB will likely never move the spot back (and therefore require a reworking of thousands upon thousands of pitches around the world), maybe the time to consider the proposal to change most fouls (except egregious ones and DOGSO) in the box to DFKs. Another tweak which would be less intrusive but also fix the VAR issue is to allow the goalkeeper to move as soon as the ref whistles.
How about this? DOGSO PK is taken at the 12, and all others taken at the 18?
 
It would make it easier for the GK's if it was 6 yards closer, is that your intent?
Sorry, it's Friday evening affecting my math skills. Regular PK is 12 yards, my proposal is to have non DOGSO Pks from the 18 (which is also called the penalty box for old folks, and the "area" for sticklers.)

Nothing would be closer.
 
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