ABERDEEN: Football’s lawmakers have tried to clarify the definition of handball after an increasing number of controversies in international and domestic competitions writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

The annual meeting of the International Football Association Board in Aberdeen, with the best of intention, may have exacerbated the problem by blurring the line between accident and intention.

Up to now handball has to be considered a “deliberate act” even though this has often included the involuntary raising of a player’s arms in seeking momentum in jumping for a header. From the start of July accidental handballs will also be considered illegal in certain circumstances.

IFAB, which comprises the four British home nations and world federation FIFA, stated that an offence should be ruled in the event of “a goal scored directly from the hand/arm (even if accidental) and a player scoring or creating a goal-scoring opportunity after having gained possession/control of the ball from their hand/arm (even if accidental) will no longer be allowed.”

This appears to contradict rulings at the World Cup in Russia last year when a ricochet off another part of the body could not be considered an offence.

In the English Premier League this season Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero was awarded a goal against Arsenal after the ball ricocheted into the net off his arm as he fell. However City were on the wrong end of a decision when they conceded a goal to Wolverhampton Wanderers whose Willy Boly scored with his hand. The action was not deliberate so the goal stood.

David Elleray, the former FIFA referee who is now IFAB’s technical director, explained it by saying: “In the past we’ve managed to improve the laws by focusing on outcome rather than intent.

“What we are looking at particularly in attacking situations is where the player gets a clear unfair advantage by gaining possession or control of the ball, as a result of it making contact with their hand or arm.”

A further nuance means that if the player’s arms extend beyond a “natural silhouette”, handball will be given, even if it is perceived as accidental.

Elleray considered this is an effort to put an end to defenders placing their arms behind their backs in fear of giving away a free-kick.

He said: “We’ve changed it to say the body has a certain silhouette. If the arms are extended beyond that silhouette then the body is being made unnaturally bigger, with the purpose of it being a bigger barrier to the opponent or the ball.

“Players should be allowed to have their arms by their side because it’s their natural silhouette.”

In other decisions IFAB ruled that a substituted player should leave the pitch at the nearest touchline to save time, yellow and red cards can be shown to misbehaving officials on the touchline and the ball need not leave the penalty area at goal-kicks and defending team free-kicks in the penalty area before being ‘in play’.

In line with IFAB’s new-era strategy of perpetual fiddling and nitpicking, attacking players will also now have to stand one metre away from the defensive wall at free-kicks and goalkeepers will be required to keep only one foot on the line at a penalty kick.

IFAB statement:

—- Today the International Football Association Board (IFAB) held its 133rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Aberdeen, Scotland. The meeting was chaired by the President of the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Alan McRae and was attended by representatives from FIFA and the football associations of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Discussions focused on several areas aimed at fine-tuning the Laws for the benefit of the game as well as an assessment of the use of Video Assistant Referees (VARs).

On the topic of defining handball, a decision was taken by The IFAB to provide a more precise and detailed definition for what constitutes handball, in particular with regard to the occasions when a non-deliberate/accidental handball will be penalised.

For example a goal scored directly from the hand/arm (even if accidental) and a player scoring or creating a goal-scoring opportunity after having gained possession/control of the ball from their hand/arm (even if accidental) will no longer be allowed.

Following experiments in different parts of the world, the AGM also approved changes to the Laws of the Game related to a player being substituted having to leave the field of play at the nearest boundary line, yellow and red cards for misconduct by team officials and the ball not having to leave the penalty area at goal kicks and defending team free kicks in the penalty area.

Additional approved Law changes included: measures to deal with attacking players causing problems in the defensive ‘wall’, changing the dropped ball procedure, giving a dropped ball in certain situations when the ball hits the referee and the goalkeeper only being required to have one foot on the line at a penalty kick.

Following the historic decision taken a year ago at the 132nd IFAB AGM to approve the use of VARs, the FIFA President Gianni Infantino in unity with fellow members of The IFAB expressed their satisfaction with the significant impact and success VAR has had.

Partly as a result of its success in the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, VAR is now an accepted part of football and has brought greater fairness to the game without any significant interruption with reviews on average taking just over a minute once every three games

The members were also updated on the current worldwide use of VARs and The IFAB/FIFA approval process which all competitions wishing to use VARs must complete and it was agreed that FIFA, together with The IFAB, will continue to drive and assist the global implementation of VAR.

Plans were announced for a comprehensive digitalisation programme to support FIFA and The IFAB in the process of education of Refereeing and the Laws of the Game as well as throughout the football community.

As part of The IFAB’s play fair! initiative the AGM also agreed to continue to explore ways in which the Laws of the Game can be used to improve on-field behaviour and, now that the major Law revision period is drawing to a close, increase football and the wider public’s understanding and appreciation of the Laws of the Game and the role of the referee.

The decisions taken at last year’s IFAB AGM are available here.

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