Picture: Getty
Just a year ago, the rules keepers of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) presented new rules. Now further changes are being made for the 2020/21 season.
Before the start of the current season, the IFAB wanted to finally clarify the controversial topic of handball with a new rule: Every goal that was preceded by a handball is irregular. Whether the goal scorer bounces the ball on the elbow or a handball is already in the making, the goal must not count – even if there is no intention and the arm is even attached to the body.
This new rule design quickly caused head shakes. Supposedly regular goals were denied by video referees, which was hardly understandable for a football fan.
Example: In February, Joshua King led Bournemouth in the Premier League game against Burnley. The VAR turns on and cancels the hit because passer Philip Billing was previously on the ball with his upper arm (or shoulder) – there is no intention to be seen, nor did Billing move the ball with his applied arm.
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Now the IFAB wants to allow more: On Monday, the rule-keepers announce that a goal caused by an unintentional handball will only be taken back if the handball takes place immediately before the goal. If, on the other hand, you continue playing after the unintentional handball using a pass or dribbling, you will not be penalized. This has one advantage in particular: the VAR can concentrate on the goal scene when checking the goal, which should speed up the decision-making process.
But: Goals like Bournemouth versus Burnley (or City striker Gabriel Jesus against Tottenham at the start of the season) are still denied because it was the crucial pass before the goal and not a scene of the goal. In this way, the VAR decisions will continue to cause red heads and shaking heads after handball games that are actually not punishable.
Handball from the height of the armpit
After all, the rule-keepers provide a little more clarity when defining the punishable handball itself: For example, the IFAB draws a border between the shoulder (not punishable) and arm (potentially punishable) at armpit height when the arm is on.
Picture: ifab.com
There are also small adjustments for the new season in terms of penalties. A second yellow card in the penalty shootout no longer leads to a dismissal, because in this sense the penalty shootout is no longer part of the game.
In addition, a penalty is no longer repeated if the goalkeeper has committed a punishable offense, but the ball passes the goal, over it or over the aluminum without the intervention of the keeper.
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