RED cards for “deliberate” penalty box handballs are set to be introduced next season – in a major clampdown by football’s Law-makers.
Under current Laws, players are only sent off for “denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity” for box handball offences.
That is almost always for an offence blocking a goalbound shot on the line.
But new Laws to be recommended following a meeting of the International FA Board will bring “deliberate” handball offences into line with goal-stopping fouls where there is no intent to play the ball.
It is understood that the new approach will mean players who are deemed to have deliberately raised their hands above the shoulder to block a cross or shot risk being sent off as well as conceding the spot kick.
The view is that the change will bring handball offences into line with deliberate fouls in the box – where there is no attempt to play the ball – which should be punished with red cards.
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Other changes – which will then be sent to the March annual general meeting to be held near Loch Lomond for confirmation – involve penalties.
The new wording will require the ball to be placed at least partially over the centre of the penalty spot, while “encroachment” by the goalkeeper will only be punished by a retake if it has a “material” effect on the outcome.
That means a spot-kick that rebounds off the post or misses the target will not be retaken even if the keeper has left the line early.
The Ifab is, though, expected to agree to trials for Laws that will only allow team captains to speak to officials and that could eventually see sin-bins introduced for offences including repeated dissent and fouls that now result in “harsh” red cards.
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There are no scheduled discussions of any potential changes to the offside rule, with Arsene Wenger’s idea of “daylight” between the attacking player and the last defender appearing to have been quietly dropped.
And despite recent controversies, Ifab remains extremely reluctant to allow “live” broadcasting – either on TV or in the stadium – of conversations between referees and VAR officials.
However VAR powers could be extended to free-kicks, corners and second yellow cards – currently it can only be used for “match-changing incidents” – goals, penalties and red cards.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
