How to call a handball (made easy)

Calling a handball during a soccer game can be tricky. Contact must be intentional. You can't read a players mind but you can go by the general guide lines below.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Characteristics of clear handball offense: A player deliberately carries, strikes, or propels the ball with the hand or arm. It is the players action that initiates contact with the ball.

2. Characteristics of ball contact that are clearly not a handball offense: The ball initiates contact. The contact is not the result of the player. The contact is the result of a purely reflexive effort at self-protection.

3. The standards of judgement that the referee should apply when the handling offense is not immediately clear: The distance or time within which the player had time to react to avoid contact- if there was time to avoid contact, the likelihood of an offense is greater. The position of players arm or hand is in an unnatural/ unusual position at time of contact, the likelihood of an offense is greater. Directing the ball with arm or hand after accidental or reflexive contact, a handball offense has occurred.

4. If a handball offense has occurred, the referee will and should signal a direct free kick to the other team.

Tips & Warnings

• Just because a player benefits from contact does not necessarily make it a handball though the likelihood of a handball is greater.
• The final decision of a handball rests with the referee and must be respected and final.

Resources

• handball info

[huanton]

on 10/22/2008 Great advice! 5 stars!

[iamageniuster]

on 10/22/2008 Excellent tips. 5 stars! Thanks for sharing.