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An Overview of Handball Infractions in Soccer

Andrew Khoury

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A fan of international soccer, Andrew Khoury studies kinesiology at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. In addition to working as a setup manager at Charleston Battery in South Carolina, Andrew Khoury enjoys playing soccer and was previously named the MVP and team captain at Oak Hill Academy.

Handball is a common topic in the soccer rulebook. A handball is a soccer offense which happens when players handle the ball using their hands, arms, shoulders, or fingertips. FIFA, the sport’s international governing body, describes some of the consequences of a handball.

Players get a cautionable offense when they deliberately use their hands to prevent an opponent from gaining possession. As a consequence, the player receives a yellow card. The play resumes with the opposing team receiving a free kick from the spot of the infraction. On the other hand, a sending off offense is charged to a player when he handles a ball to block a shot on a clear goal or to prevent a breakaway by an opposing team player. The player who handled the ball receives a straight red card while the opposing player gets a free kick.
Accidental handballs may be overlooked if they occur unintentionally, such as when a player instinctively protects his face from getting hit by the ball. If a player’s hands or arms are in an unnatural position when the accidental contact is made, officials may elect to call a foul without enforcing the harsher penalties.