Deliberate or not? Handball by a sliding defender

[GoookeRef]

Hi everyone, I'm GoookeRef, a referee from Japan.

I’d like to get your thoughts on the first goal in this match.
Match Scene ⇨ 4:10

Please focus on the defender in white at the end of the play. After the player in purple takes the shot, the defender slides in and the ball hits his right arm.

What I’m interested in is whether you would consider the defender’s action with his arm to be deliberate or not deliberate.

In the actual match, the ball still went into the goal, so this distinction did not affect the outcome.
However, if the ball had been stopped by the defender’s arm and the goal had been prevented, whether the handball was deliberate or not would become a very important point.

Looking at the way the defender puts his arm out while sliding, would you consider this deliberate handball, or would you see the arm movement as part of his natural sliding action and therefore not deliberate?

I’m finding it difficult to clearly put into words how to distinguish between deliberate and non-deliberate handball in situations like this, so I’d really like to hear how other referees analyse it.

I’d also really appreciate hearing what factors or perspectives you personally use when deciding whether a handball is deliberate or not. Any advice on how you approach these situations would be very helpful.

I’d be grateful to hear both your view on this specific incident and your general approach.

 

[one]

A lot of this is interpretation and ITOOTR. If the arm is there to support the body falling to the ground then it works in his favour to consider not deliberate. While I think it was initially used to support his fall, when it touched the ball the hand was out of position for any natural action. I would consider this deliberate. Even if the goal is scored a yellow card has to be give. Was there a yellow card given in the game?

 

[ARF]

For me this is not a handling offence. The arm was down to cushion the fall, and there is no chance for the defender to move his arm out of the way - it's a completely natural position IMO. The hand doesn't move from first touching the ground to the ball hitting his arm, it's only because he's sliding to his left that it looks like he has extended his arm. Without the benefit of watching it back in slo-mo, I could understand a referee seeing it live and thinking it was handball though, given the arm position at the point the ball hits it.

Even if the goal is scored a yellow card has to be give.

This is incorrect in law, by the way. If you deem this to be a handling offence (whether deliberate or unnaturally bigger), playing advantage on a DOGSO offence which leads to a goal means that there is no disciplinary sanction for the offender.

 

[one]

This is incorrect in law, by the way. If you deem this to be a handling offence (whether deliberate or unnaturally bigger), playing advantage on a DOGSO offence which leads to a goal means that there is no disciplinary sanction for the offender.

For you it is, for me it is not, not yet anyway until next year. Not sure for the OP.

Edit: as an add on, when it was a mandatory caution for you, it had nothing to do with playing advantage. It was an act of USB. Playing advantage did not nullify the act. Similar to using the hand to score a goal which is still in law 12. Even if a goal is not scored it is a caution.

 

[GoookeRef]

For you it is, for me it is not, not yet anyway until next year. Not sure for the OP.

Edit: as an add on, when it was a mandatory caution for you, it had nothing to do with playing advantage. It was an act of USB. Playing advantage did not nullify the act. Similar to using the hand to score a goal which is still in law 12. Even if a goal is not scored it is a caution.

Thanks! No card was actually shown in this match. I was thinking it might be because of the law change coming in for 26/27 — if advantage is played and the goal results directly, no disciplinary sanction is given. I assumed that was applied here.

 

[GoookeRef]

For me this is not a handling offence. The arm was down to cushion the fall, and there is no chance for the defender to move his arm out of the way - it's a completely natural position IMO. The hand doesn't move from first touching the ground to the ball hitting his arm, it's only because he's sliding to his left that it looks like he has extended his arm. Without the benefit of watching it back in slo-mo, I could understand a referee seeing it live and thinking it was handball though, given the arm position at the point the ball hits it.


This is incorrect in law, by the way. If you deem this to be a handling offence (whether deliberate or unnaturally bigger), playing advantage on a DOGSO offence which leads to a goal means that there is no disciplinary sanction for the offender.

Thanks! Looking at it again, you're right — it's more about the body sliding than the arm actually reaching out. It's a really tricky call to make, so I'll keep studying scenes like this to improve my judgement!