Delibrate Handball Or Not?A referee who runs the
Whistling In The Wind Blog reckons a goalkeeper who handles the ball outside the box is not always guilty of delibrate handball. I agree, although I am no expert on the pernickity bits and pieces within laws of the game of football.
♠ 1) The goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball inside his penalty area.
♠ 2) For handling the ball to be an offence, the handling must be deliberate.
♠ Q) Does it therefore follow that a goalkeeper who accidentally holds the ball outside of his penalty area and who either releases the ball from his hands immediately or immediately returns the ball to the penalty area should not be penalised?
I think not. There can be many times when a goalkeeper accidentally handballs the ball outside his own area.
See
Delibrate Handball Or Not? to judge for yourself and post your thoughts on the referee's blog.
Posted at 8:31 AM, Thursday, April 07, 2005