anyone watching the premier league on the weekend? the new handball rule made a lot of controversy and was wondering whether this rule was played this season because I feel like I've seen many of similar situations but referees are playing on because it's accidental. Does anyone know anything about this?

any time you move your arms out - it's a handball.. there is more deliberate or non-deliberate - so keep your arms by your side Happy Defending

The new EPL season is using the 20-21 rules where there has been more tweaks to the rule book just to confuse us. We play the 19/20 rules which most people don't know the changes to. The Eric Dier handball decision was horrible (was also nudged in the back just before it). Slow mo, freeze frame VAR jumps in.

Mark etc does this mean: "IFAB says that having the hand/arm above shoulder height is rarely a "natural" position and a player is "taking a risk" by having the hand/arm in that position, including when sliding." The player is taking a risk? What does that mean? It's so ambiguous. One could read that and think he's taking a risk but one ref might give it but another ref won't. It sounds like it's to the referees discretion of how he applies the law? Is that correct?

http://static-3eb8.kxcdn.com/documents/786/111531_110319_IFAB_LoG_at_a_Glance.pdf The link will provide a place where you can find the list of adjustments to the LOTG and yes they do apply to this season that we are playing in right now. The Premier League website helpfully summarised as: "Any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm will be disallowed this season even if it is accidental. The handball rule now has extra clarity because it does not consider intent by a player. Another big change is to do with the position of a player's hand/arm. If the ball hits a player who has made their body "unnaturally bigger" then a foul will be awarded. IFAB says that having the hand/arm above shoulder height is rarely a "natural" position and a player is "taking a risk" by having the hand/arm in that position, including when sliding. It is, however, considered natural for a player to put their arm between their body and the ground for support when falling, so long as the arm is not extended to make the body bigger. Regarding deflections: Premier League players will be allowed extra leeway when it comes to ricocheted handballs. It is often impossible to avoid contact with the ball if it has deflected off the body of an opponent, team-mate, or even another part of the own player. So a handball will not be awarded if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from their own head/body/foot or the head/body/foot of another player who is close/nearby."

The whole concept of natural and unnatural in these new law changes is stupendously stupid. From some of the examples that I've already seen in the first three rounds, I can already see the record for the most penalties given in a season. And teams can easily now manipulate the game. Every player now should aim the ball at the defenders arm when in the box and it's a guaranteed penalty. Haven't heard of any cases in local PL/SL but I guess you guys are the ones can shed light on this season.

“Player is taking a risk” is meant to read that if the ball is blasted into such an outstretched arm above the shoulder, then it is a handball offence and will be punished by a direct free kick - no further considerations are to be made. The risk you take is it being blasted into your arm from close distance. This is because it is considered to be an unnatural position. The only reason the arm is up there is to artificially make the body bigger. So even if there is no chance to remove the arm in a reaction to the ball being blasted from close distance, in such a case where the arm is above the shoulder, that would be irrelevant to determining that a handball offence has occurred.

> Every player now should aim the ball at the defenders arm when in the box and it's a guaranteed penalty. trololol... if I could aim that accurately, I'd just kick it into the damn goal

Shooter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Every player now should aim the ball at the > defenders arm when in the box and it's a > guaranteed penalty. > > trololol... if I could aim that accurately, I'd > just kick it into the damn goal You wouldn't need to aim accurately because of how the arms would be positioned when contesting for the same challenge as yours. I think the point Mark is saying is that there's a potential possibility that many penalties will be given because of how defenders place their arms to gain more control or height when contesting headers. I agree with him. It's a dud rule that should be protested by the relevant leagues that want more appealing, entertaining, flowing football.

Defender Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Shooter Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > Every player now should aim the ball at the > > defenders arm when in the box and it's a > > guaranteed penalty. > > > > trololol... if I could aim that accurately, I'd > > just kick it into the damn goal > > You wouldn't need to aim accurately because of how > the arms would be positioned when contesting for > the same challenge as yours. I think the point > Mark is saying is that there's a potential > possibility that many penalties will be given > because of how defenders place their arms to gain > more control or height when contesting headers. > > I agree with him. It's a dud rule that should be > protested by the relevant leagues that want more > appealing, entertaining, flowing football. Completely agree. When was the last time you saw a player lunge towards an attempt to win the ball or jump in the air, with their hands directly by their side? In some instances, it is almost biomechanically difficult to not do so, and maintain some degree of balance. Whilst it makes it easier for the person in black to judge (arm making the body bigger) and subsequent action, it completely ignores the biomechanical aspects of the scenario at play.