November 6 – Aleksander Ceferin has written to FIFA, asking for a change to the handball rule, which the UEFA boss says has caused “growing frustration and discomfort”.
In a letter to Gianni Infantino and the world federation, Ceferin argued that the revised handball law has resulted in unfair decision and frustration. Ceferin’s appeal has followed a spate of decisions in domestic and international competition where players have conceded penalties or had goals disallowed for unwittingly touching the ball.
“The attempt to strictly define the cases where handling the ball is an offense has resulted in many unfair decisions which have been met with growing frustration and discomfort by the football community,” wrote Ceferin.
“The spirit of the game must be preserved at all times,” Ceferin said. “I believe that going back to the previous wording, perhaps reviewed and integrated by a provision which does not allow goals to be scored with a hand/arm, is an option to be taken into account.”
In November, IFAB meets again, but the European governing body doesn’t have a vote on the law-making board, controlled by FIFA, with half the votes and the other votes for the home nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Early next year, IFAB will convened for their annual general meeting.
“It happens quite frequently that the ball accidentally hits hands or arms of players,” wrote Ceferin. “But the spirit of the law is clearly that, these cases being unavoidable, they should not be punished in order to avoid excessive fragmentation of play and even to allow hazardous situations to decide the result of matches.”
In 2019, the handball law was modified, but the introduction of VAR has meant that referees tend to award any handball in inside the box. “There are also plenty of situations where hands/arms exposed outside the profile of the body in moves which are understood to be natural, unintentional and unavoidable have been punished with penalty kicks,” wrote Ceferin. “This is no good service to the game.”
Ceferin concluded: “There is no shame in admitting that sometimes decisions that are made for the good do not achieve their objectives and should be reviewed. Doing so would certainly not undermine the high merits and the credibility of IFAB, whose service to the game and dedication to safeguarding and enhancing its rules is fully appreciated by all.”
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1727594403labto1727594403ofdlr1727594403owedi1727594403sni@o1727594403fni1727594403