Question Number: 23562

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/27/2010

RE: Competitive and Recreation Adult

Steve of Vero Beach, FL USA asks...

In the WC I have seen a lot of Cautions given for handling the ball. I believe it was Marcus Beasley that received one in the infamous Slovenia game a minute or so before the SLV 2nd goal. As much as I am against Replay, this one showed the ball hitting him in the face, but I digress.

It was always my position that a player really needed to direct the ball with his hand to rise to the level of USB. Did I miss a recent interpretation that would lead to so many YC for Handling?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Well there are lots of new criteria that have gone into the throughout the recent years. The LOTG state that it must be a deliberate attempt to play the ball with the hands. Balls that accidently hit a players hand are not suppose to be whistled. If a player does direct the ball...then that is a clear give away that it was indeed handling deliberatly. However there are other criteria that the USSF and FIFA have added.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steve
There are two situations where deliberately handling the ball is a caution for unsporting behaviour. One is where the player tries to score by using his hand and the other is tactical where the player deliberately and blatantly handles the ball to prevent an opponent gaining possession.
The other disciplinary action taken by the referee is respect of deliberate handling is where a player denies an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity which is a dismissal.
Any other deliberate handling should only result in a direct free kick.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The question remains - what is a deliberately handled ball? A great deal of that decision depends on the level of play, because the more skilled the players, the less likely that any contact between the arm and the ball is accidental. The ones that are accidental usually stand out for an easy choice. Players at that level are very skilled in 'making themselves bigger' with the positioning of the hands and arms, and that is clearly deliberate and should be called.

The next issue is the referee's positioning. If he is not at an appropriate angle, it can look like a deliberately handled ball when it is not, and as fast as the play goes in the WC, no human referee can be at the correct angle of view all of the time. What I don't quite understand is giving a card when you can't be absolutely certain it was deliberate. A whistle yes, a card? Well, apparently their handlers have given strict instructions - the card given to Findley in the first US game is another example of one that hit the player's face at a great pace and then bounced off his arm. A no call really, but if doubt remained, a whistle only should have been sufficient.

I am really against any kind of review of such decisions by a referee. The only time I can think such technology would be fair to both teams would be some of the various choices for goal line technology. The mistakes by the referee team (there aren't that many, given the thousands of decisions made in each match) count the most when goals are denied or given in error. Anything else would be a tremendous intrusion on the flow of the play, and stands to damage the beauty of the game. Unfortunately, opening the door to any technology at all, even if appropriate, widens the door for other less appropriate uses.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 23575