From the U.S. Soccer
Communications Center -- April 27, 2005
To: National Referees
National Assessors
National Instructors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Assessment
State Directors of Instruction
From: Alfred Kleinaitis Manager of Referee Development and
Education
Subject: Handling Offenses
Date: April 27, 2005
Recent incidents in the professional leagues involving
possible handling offenses have caused considerable comment
and debate. For those not officiating the match, multiple
camera angles, instant replay, and slow-motion viewing make
the debate easier because they allow a leisurely analysis of
the facts well after the relevant decision has to be made.
The Laws of the Game declare that a direct free kick is
given to the opposing team if a player “handles the ball
deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own
penalty area).” This simple statement defines one of the
ten listed offenses in the first part of Law 12 (Fouls and
Misconduct) and lies at the historical and traditional heart
of soccer, a game played with all parts of the body other
than the hands. Only the goalkeeper is exempt from this
restriction and only while within his own penalty area.
What are the characteristics of a clear handling
offense?
A
player deliberately carries, strikes, or propels the
ball with the hand or arm
It
is the player’s action that initiates the contact with
the ball
What characteristics of ball
contact are clearly not handling offenses?
The
ball strikes the hand or arm (i.e., the ball initiates
the contact)
The
contact is accidental (not the result of action by the
player)
The
contact is the result of a purely reflexive effort at
self-protection
What are the standards of judgment
which the referee will apply when the handling offense is
not immediately clear?
The
distance or time within which the player had to react to
avoid contact – if there was time to avoid the contact,
the likelihood of an offense is greater
The
position of the player’s hand or arm at the time of the
contact – if the hand or arm is carried in an unnatural
or unusual position (e.g., high up in the air or, while
defending against a free kick, far away from the body),
the likelihood of an offense is greater
Directing the ball after
initial accidental or reflexive contact – if the player
takes advantage to control or push the ball away, a
handling offense has occurred
The referee,
with input from the assistant referees, must make the
immediate decision based on the best available evidence in
an increasingly fast-paced game. This difficult decision
must be respected and final.
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