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| Today |
What is with the German defenders/players and handballs in the box with the quarter-final and semi-final matches? I would like to see more literal definitions of 'handball' called by FIFA/UEFA referees as in handball is literally trying to play the ball with the hand (s) or arm (s) as opposed to the football hitting the player's hand (s) or arm (s). Especially in the box.
But according to the Canadian and British commentators I observed, the Italian referee was correct with his call, based on current rules, in today's semi-final won 2-0 by France.
Germany and France are the two main international clubs I support. I am pleased with Germany holding the FIFA World Cup and hopefully France on Sunday will win the UEFA European Championship. I am mixed on the result today. It would have been historically interesting to see Germany as double champions as they were in the 1970s, but on the other hand, France have not won a major championship since they were double champions in 2000. I am now 23/50 correct results with the BBC Predictor with seven exact scores. Predicting Win1, Win2 or Draw each match.
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BBC
Cited
'What is 'deliberate' handball?
Gary O'Neil contests a penalty decision
The challenging decisions are if the defending player spreads their arms to make themselves bigger Former Premier League referee David Elleray "Hand to ball or ball to hand?"
Nothing stirs the passion like a controversial handball decision. You've only got to look at players and managers jumping up and down enraged at a dodgy penalty to know that. A ball slams into a player's arm and one team is screaming for a penalty, while the others are claiming it was an accident. It's a tricky one for the referee to call in the heat of the moment.
So what is 'deliberate' handball? In Fifa's Laws of the Game 2005, Law 12 says a free-kick or penalty will be awarded if a player "handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)". Page 67 of the document gives "additional information for referees, assistant referees and fourth officials". It adds: "Referees are reminded that deliberately handling the ball is normally punished only by a direct free-kick or penalty kick if the offence occurred inside the penalty area. "A caution or dismissal is not normally required."
However, the document fails to describe what constitutes deliberate handball, which places the responsibility firmly on the referee and referees'assistants.'
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