Everything about the ball coming off the head or body was removed this season.
Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct
1. Direct free kick – Handling the ball
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It is an offence if a player:
• deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball
• scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
• after the ball has touched their or a team-mate’s hand/arm, even if accidental, immediately:
· scores in the opponents’ goal
· creates a goal-scoring opportunity
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when:
· the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
· the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the playerdeliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)
The above offences apply even if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close.
Except for the above offences, it is not an offence if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm:
• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
• directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close
• if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger
• when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body
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Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence.
It is an 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
• scores in the opponents’ goal:
· directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
· immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental
Explanation
• Not every contact between the hand/arm and the ball is a handball offence.
• Referees must judge the ‘validity’ of the hand/arm’s position in relation to what the player is doing in that particular situation.
• Accidental handball by a team-mate before a goal is scored and accidental handball creating a goal-scoring opportunity have been removed as offences.