RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian football bosses have summoned disciplinary chiefs, referees and team captains to a summit meeting on Thursday to sort out confusion over the handball law writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

They are scheduled to sit down and sort out the wording of the law, the interpretation advice and the apparently illegal instruction issued to championship match officials.

At the start of the month the CBF directed the officials to award a penalty on any and every occasion when a player handled the ball, even if unintentional.

The CBF has already been rebuked by Italian Massimo Busacca, world federation FIFA’s referees overseer. He told Brazilian officials: “A player needs his hand and his arm to run, jump and balance. You cannot play the game without using hands and arms. Hence referees must apply the law which includes a decision on intent.”]

Last Sunday, chaos erupted at a derby between Corinthians and São Paulo when Corinthians scored from a penalty awarded after the ball hit the arm of defender Antonio Carlos.

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