I personally don't like the "unnatural position" criterion - it's too vague and too difficult to define with any certainty. I prefer to look at whether the player moved the hand towards the ball or, having had enough time to move the hand out of the way of the ball, did not do so. Another consideration is whether the player deliberately prolonged an initially accidental contact in order to control the ball.Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with his hand or arm. The referee must take the following into consideration:
• the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
• the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
• the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement
I've quite often seen a quote that goes something along the lines of, "If you never gave a single handball, you'd probably be right about 90% of the time." Maybe that's a slight exaggeration but I don't think it's too wide of the mark (maybe closer to 80%, as Deusex says).I'd say 80% of incidents of the ball striking the hand ARE NOT offences.
I award maybe one handball every 5 games. I'll have 20+ handball shouts in those matches
I heard a similar one last year from a high level USSF intructor:I've quite often seen a quote that goes something along the lines of, "If you never gave a single handball, you'd probably be right about 90% of the time." Maybe that's a slight exaggeration but I don't think it's too wide of the mark (maybe closer to 80%, as Deusex says).
I would just apply the Laws of the Game as written. Only punish deliberate handling and take into consideration what the Laws tell you to:
I personally don't like the "unnatural position" criterion - it's too vague and too difficult to define with any certainty. I prefer to look at whether the player moved the hand towards the ball or, having had enough time to move the hand out of the way of the ball, did not do so. Another consideration is whether the player deliberately prolonged an initially accidental contact in order to control the ball.
Under the pre-1997 Laws, deliberate handling was defined as "carries, strikes or propels the ball with his hand or arm." Maybe that's a bit too far the other way but I would prefer that to the idea that any contact is an offence, which some people (even, dare I say, some referees) seem to subscribe to.
I think Clattenburg was correct with the penalty against Sterling (Spurs v Man City) in his interpretation, however, in slow mo it wasn't 100% clear if it did hit Sterling's outstretch arms.
And that's why FIFA gives us several considerations to look at:Me personally would be the un-natural position line and not giving it if the ball is smashed at someone from a yard away
41 - Is the hand moving towards the ball or is the ball moving towards the hand?
42 - Are the players hand's or arms in a "NATURAL POSITION" or an "UNNATURAL POSITION"?
43 - Does the player attempt to avoid the ball striking his hand?
44 - Does the ball strike his hand from a short or from a long distance?
45 - Does the player use his hand or arm to deliberately touch or block the ball?
46 - Does the player prevent an opponent gaining possession of the ball by handling it?
47 - Does the player attempt to score a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
48 - Does the player prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
49 - Does the player prevent an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball?
50 - Does the player try to deceive the referee by handling the ball?
I think the LOTG should be reworded to:
"Permits contact between the ball and his/her arm when the player could reasonably have been expected to avoid such contact"
That's pretty much how we apply it, and that takes 'natural position' into consideration. The law needs rewording - 'deliberate' implies the player made a conscious decision, which isn't the case.
Unnatural position can never be accidental. Natural position might be, if the player has had the chance to move his arm out of the way (and consider whether he only saw the ball at the last moment).
Going to emphasise though, if it's accidental it doesn't matter what the outcome is - accidental handling that stops or scores a goal is still no foul.
I know some of our highest ranking officials here think that a player falling on the ball (unintentionally falling, naturally putting arms out and striking the ball as an unavoidable result with arms) is a foul.....ffs.......