Soccer eases ‘handball’ law

LONDON, March 6, (AP): Accidental handballs in the buildup to a team-mate scoring will no longer lead to the goal being ruled out after the law was eased.

The move by the International Football Association Board follows irritation in the game about how goals seem to be harshly ruled out since the law was changed two years ago.

“After analyzing everything it was felt this was maybe one step too far,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. “This was the perception of the public and the perception we had at IFAB. For this reason we amended this regulation. It’s not embarrassing or a climbdown.”

IFAB said an “accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goalscoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offense.”

On the eve of the virtual meeting, Fulham were denied an equalizer in its English Premier League match against Tottenham when Davinson Sanchez’s clearance hit the hand of Fulham’s Mario Lemina, whose arm was down the side of his body, before Josh Maja netted.

“What happened yesterday is

SOCCER

evidence that the decision taken today is correct, but it was not a reaction to the incident,” said Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA’s referee committee.

Goals will still be ruled out if a player using their hand before or while scoring. But referees are being urged to “use their judgment” when assessing the position of hands and arms when a ball hits them.

“As the interpretation of handball incidents has not always been consistent due to incorrect applications of the law, the members confirmed that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offense,” IFAB said.

Changes to the laws of the game take effect from July 1, although IFAB said competitions have the flexibility to introduce them sooner.

Another thorny spinoff from the introduction of VAR in recent years is how forensic decisions are being taken on offsides with an array of dotted lines being used to assess the position of often blurred body parts.