Interesting, if true...

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Quote: "Up until July 2012, the handball rule?s phrasing was that only a ?deliberate and blatant? handball was to be considered an infringement upon the laws of the game. Thus, it may seem that penalties such as the one from a couple of weeks back in the Arsenal Fulham game may seem very harsh. The hand was close to the body and the Fulham defender had very little time to react. However, the recent consensus on the interpretation of ?deliberate?, especially in the English game, is not one that is synonymous with ?on purpose?, but is actually taken to mean ?giving a distinct advantage to that player?. Thus, whilst I would agree that it is a harsh penalty, by the laws of the game it has to be given. It certainly is a grey area, but my personal tip for defenders would be to either place the hands and arms directly in front of the torso (if it hits here, there is no advantage to be gained as the ball would otherwise hit the body) or behind the back, as Branislav Ivanovic famously does, when attempting to block a shot or cross from inside the area.

Furthermore, as of July 2012, the word ?blatant? has been taken away from the rules as it was difficult to translate into some languages. Thus, even with the hands at the side of the body, from now a caution should be issued for any and every hand ball decision."

I wonder what is meant by recent consensus? Obviously and unfortunately not a general consensus amongst premier referees. Surely one of the most contested laws in the game could be simplified by removing the word deliberate rather than adding a new meaning to the word that doesn't exist outside of football. When I grew up watching football, handball (to include the whole of the arm) was exactly what it meant.

Posted By: sixthgo, Dec 1, 11:30:20