Soccer is also known as “football” around the globe for a reason. One of the sport’s premier rules is that a player — apart from the goalie — can not use their hands.
However, this rule is not quite as clear as it seems. The severity of the offense depends on how the ball made contact with the hand/arm and where it occurred on the field.
This guide to handballs in soccer uncovers the ins and outs of this foundational rule.
A handball in soccer occurs when a player deliberately touches the ball with their arm/hand anywhere from the fingertips to the bottom of the shoulder.
The handball rule sounds simple, but it’s more complicated than the referee calling a foul every time the soccer ball touches someone’s hand. This rule is highly dependent on circumstances, such as where the handball occurred on the field, whether it was intentional, and more.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) created the handball rule used by referees around the globe. The rule enforced by the IFAB states that a handball occurs when:
The goalie is exempt from the handball rule when in their team’s penalty zone. They can use their hands to pick up the ball, block a goal, or throw the ball to another player. A goalie can commit a handball foul if they touch the ball with their arm/hand outside their team’s penalty area.
The opposing team receives a free kick if the goalie touches the ball outside their team’s penalty box. The goalie may receive a yellow or red card for this offense if it stops or attempts to stop the other team from scoring a goal. The referee may even send the goalie off the field for a serious handball offense.
A goalie cannot use their hands if they receive the ball deliberately from a teammate or via a throw-in. They cannot release the ball from their hands and then pick it up again.
The Laws of the Game, established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), state that the arm includes everything below the armpit. The shoulder can touch the ball without causing a foul. However, handballs are at the referee’s discretion.
If you were to draw a line from under your arm across your body, any part of the arm below that line cannot touch the ball in soccer.
The handball rule is especially subjective in the penalty area. Many players and fans assume any handball in the penalty area results in a free kick. However, there are exceptions. Such as when the ball unintentionally hits the arm of a player who has their arms and hands close to their body, and they do not receive an advantage. In this case, the unintentional handball in the penalty box does not result in a free kick.
The following are two instances when a referee will call a handball foul in the penalty area.
The referee decides if a handball in the penalty box is worthy of a red card. On defense, a handball may result in a red card if it denies the attacking team a goal. The referee may show an attacker a red card if they used their arm/hand to score a goal or create a goal-scoring opportunity.
A free kick goes to the team that did not commit the handball foul. Law 12 in the official Laws of the Game states that a referee awards a direct free kick for all handballs except those committed by a goalie in their penalty area.
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the goalie handles the ball illegally inside their penalty area. The referee does not enforce any other disciplinary action against the goalie.
Handball offenses committed by the goalie in the penalty area include:
The referee decides whether to call a handball or not. He uses his discretion to determine if the handball was intentional. The referee calls a handball if a player deliberately touches the ball with their arm or hand.
A referee may also call a handball foul if a player unintentionally touches the ball with their hand or arm. This depends on the location of the player’s arms and what happened directly after the hand or arm made contact with the ball.
The IFAB Laws of the Game state that an unintentional handball is an offense if the ball enters the opponent’s goal immediately after touching the arm or hand. It is also an offense if a player scores a goal or creates a scoring opportunity after the ball directly after touching a teammate’s hand or arm.
An unintentional handball is also an offense if the player used their hands/arms to make their body unnaturally bigger when the ball touched their hand/arm. A referee will also call a handball if the ball unintentionally hits a player’s hand/arm when the arms are above shoulder level. The player put their arms/hands in an unnatural position that makes them more likely to come in contact with the ball.
Breaking down when a referee will call a handball if a player unintentionally touches it with their arm/hand:
The player’s intention is not relevant in the above circumstances, and a referee will call a handball.
The handball rule in soccer is not cut and dry. A referee takes several factors into account when calling a handball foul.
Sometimes the ball moves so quickly that it hits a player’s leg and then their arm/hand because they can’t get it out of the way fast enough. This is typically not a handball because it is not intentional and does not offer any advantage to the player or their team.
The following are several instances when touching the ball with the hand/arm is not an offense:
Handballs are common points of controversy in the sport of soccer because the intention of the player is difficult for a referee to determine.
Conclusion
At first glance, the handball rule appears to be one of the simplest in the sport. Digging deeper, it is far more than a rule stating “no hands allowed,” and it leaves a lot of decision-making to the referee. Understanding what a handball is and what causes a referee to call a handball foul can help you avoid committing this often game-changing foul.
