Handling the ball - the way forward

[Big Cat]

It is the VAR mentality of trying to establish 'fact', which necessitates the path of nonsense, perpetuating interpretations (not the other way around)
The Law from a few years back, didn't need elaboration, it just needed applying. But referees outside the UK (and perhaps the US), had their own ideas

 

[Mintyref]

IFAB (claim to) want a consistent game that's played the same across the world. Without some indication of what we're supposed to consider deliberate, how do you create that consistency?

I see that, so they need to remove any interpretation where the official has to make a judgement.
You just know where I'm going...........with exception of the keeper in their own area, any contact with the hand/arm is an offence.....binary decision.

 

[JamesL]

I see that, so they need to remove any interpretation where the official has to make a judgement.
You just know where I'm going...........with exception of the keeper in their own area, any contact with the hand/arm is an offence.....binary decision.

But I think we all agree (perhaps not) this will create a farcical situation where we will probably see the same number of penalties in one match than man United have had all season...

 

[GraemeS]

I see that, so they need to remove any interpretation where the official has to make a judgement.
You just know where I'm going...........with exception of the keeper in their own area, any contact with the hand/arm is an offence.....binary decision.

Of course that's a plausible conclusion at one end of the scale. The other end of the scale is your initially proposed "deliberate in the opinion of the referee". But just because they're the most obvious conclusions, doesn't mean they're the only conclusions - is there a point in the middle where a clear and straightforward definition can be found?

Personally, I like the suggestion earlier in this thread that asks the referee to judge "after the point where another player last kicked the ball, was it possible for the player to avoid ball-to-arm contact?" It removes the need to try and discern intent, while still allowing for the completely unavoidable HB's to be let go. You'd still have to add some caveats/guidance of course, but I think starting from there is a lot better than starting from a point where we're expected to try and read the player's mind.

 

[GraemeS]

It is the VAR mentality of trying to establish 'fact', which necessitates the path of nonsense, perpetuating interpretations (not the other way around)
The Law from a few years back, didn't need elaboration, it just needed applying. But referees outside the UK (and perhaps the US), had their own ideas

While I'm impressed by your efforts to shoehorn VAR into every unrelated conversation, I do think we need to make a clarification here. "Deliberate ITOOTR" went away a long time before VAR was even trialled.

 

[Justylove]

I see that, so they need to remove any interpretation where the official has to make a judgement.
You just know where I'm going...........with exception of the keeper in their own area, any contact with the hand/arm is an offence.....binary decision.

That’s the binary way to do it. If it hits you on the arm/hand it’s an offence. If it happens by accident or the ball cannons onto it, tough luck, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Likewise if players are targeting the arm to try to win penalties so be it. The only opinion decision is around the ones where it’s close to the shoulder (On the cusp of the foul zone)

Whilst it sounds good in theory, most likely to be a disaster in practice, players will be trying to win penalties all game as it’s a higher chance of scoring than trying to pump a cross into the box, or having a shot at goal.

I don’t think there’s too much wrong with the basics of the handball law as it stands. If you make yourself bigger or your arms are above your head, then handball. The bit that requires fixing is around the attacking handball scenarios.