Fulham‘s controversial disallowed goal against Spurs would be allowed next season after a change to the handball rule was introduced on Friday.
“Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence,” football lawmakers Ifab announced after an AGM.
Spurs were given a reprieve when Josh Maja’s goal was chalked off on Thursday evening after Davinson Sanchez’s awkward attempt at a toe-poked clearance bounced off Fulham midfielder Mario Lemina’s arm from point-blank range and ricocheted into the striker’s path to score.
Referee David Coote initially awarded the goal which would have drawn Fulham level after Tosin Adarabioyo had scored in his own net, however, following consultation with VAR official Jarred Gillett, Coote subsequently ruled it out. Despite facing a second half onslaught, Spurs escaped west London with all three points to boost their Premier League top four hopes.
Suffice to say Fulham’s boss Scott Parker was less than impressed. “I understand why the goal wasn’t given tonight and that’s the rule,” he said. “I don’t agree with that rule because looking at it, I don’t know what else he can physically do.
Why Lemina was penalised vs Spurs
Law 12 – fouls and misconduct
‘accidental’ handball by an attacking player (or team-mate) is only penalised if it occurs ‘immediately’ before a goal or clear goal-scoring opportunity
“If it doesn’t hit his arm, it hits his side, but I’m not complaining about that, the referee has just acted to the law, but maybe with a bit of common sense in those moments.
“We’ve got VAR so you can always go back and work out if there’s a clear advantage being had in that moment and I think tonight, there wasn’t a clear advantage but that’s what it is.”
Parker’s mood is unlikely to be lifted after IFAB announced that from next season: “Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
What changes to the handball law have Ifab made?
Ifab announced that because of lack of consistency over handball decisions due to “incorrect applications of the Law” they have made changes and clarifications to existing rules relating to Law 12, which covers Fouls and Misconduct.
IFAB’S updated handball law
It is a handball offence if a player:
- deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball;
- touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised; or
- scores in the opponents’ goal:
- directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper; or
- immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.
Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.
There were expected to be amendments to the handball law following comments from Ifab after a meeting in December.
“It was agreed that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence. In terms of ‘unnaturally bigger’, referees should judge the position of the hand/arm in relation to the player’s movement in that phase of play,” they said.
The Professional Game Match Officials Board [PGMOL] which officiates the Premier League, English Football League and FA competitions, said it was “pleased” that IFAB would discuss changes to the law.
When will the rule change come into effect?
The law change will come into effect from July 1 although IFAB announced that “competitions will retain the flexibility to introduce changes prior to that date.”
The Football Association and Scottish Football Association have both confirmed that the new rule will be introduced from next season.
The 2021-22 Premier League campaign is scheduled to start on Saturday 7 August.
What is the current handball rule?
The two most frequent complaints over handball this season have revolved around where on a player’s arm the cut-off point for handball is and ambiguity around when a player has made their body “unnaturally bigger” in relation to possible handball offences.
Ifab’s definitions for 2020-21 state: “For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.”
Patrick Bamford and Timo Werner are among the players to have had goals ruled out for offside this season as the “upper boundary” of their arms which can be scored with, have been deemed to be onside.
Another disputed rule is when referees have deemed that a player touching the ball with their hand or arm “has made their body unnaturally bigger”. Eric Dier, Joe Gomez and Joel Ward, all conceded penalties earlier on in the campaign in such instances. Essentially, the ruling meant that obviously accidental handballs were penalised in the same manner as deliberate ones.
Referees have appeared to have applied a more lenient view to such instances in recent months, including during Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Liverpool on Thursday when the ball clearly struck N’Golo Kante on the hand inside his own penalty area. On that occasion, the Frenchman was not penalised.
That lack of consistency has seen referees and VAR officials criticised frequently in recent months and IFAB will hope that changes to the law will result in fewer contentious decisions in 2021-22.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3c39Z2B
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