THE PREMIER LEAGUE looks certain to be stuck with the controversial new handball rule until next season.
Already this campaign we have seen fuming bosses including Jose Mourinho, Steve Bruce and Roy Hodgson slam the law.
The new handball rule looks certain to be here until next seasonCredit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said the ruling “doesn’t feel right at all” and that he hopes “something can be done to change it”.
Famed commentator Clive Tyldesley has even started a campaign to have it axed altogether.
Well the bad news for managers, players and fans alike is that the law is here to stay – until June at least.
Law changes can only be made at the March AGM of the International Football Association Board (Ifab).
Any changes will then come into effect from June 1.
This Premier League season is set to finish on Sunday, May 23.
Top flight shareholders are expected to discuss the law at their meeting in October.
But changes can only be enacted at the Ifab summit next year.
What is the handball rule?
A PLAYER is penalised for handball if…
The hand/arm is clearly away from the body and outside the “body line”.
The player clearly leans into the path of the ball.
The ball travels some distance.
The ball touches a hand/arm that is clearly raised above the shoulder.
The player falls and the hand/arm is extended laterally or vertically away from the body.
A deflection clearly makes no difference to the ball touching a hand/arm that is clearly extended away from the body and/or above the shoulder.
Immediately after touching the ball with the arm, even accidentally, the player scores a goal or creates a goal-scoring opportunity.
Separately, the Ifab say: “For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.”
The Premier League attempted to simplify what constitutes handball
It is very unlikely the Premier League would force through a move back to the old handball interpretation during the season – even though former top ref Mark Halsey says officials are confused by the new rule.
Given the new way of judging has been in place in Europe since last season, it would mean teams like Liverpool and Man City would be playing under one set of rules in England and another in the Champions League.
There would also be a dangerous precedent set about altering rules mid-way through a campaign.
Mark Clattenburg told the Daily Mail that doing so would lead to concerns about “distorting the competition” after it has already started.
Crystal Palace’s Joel Ward and Tottenham’s Eric Dier are two to have fallen foul of the new interpretation so far.
Ward was adjudged to have handballed in Palace’s clash against Everton and Richarlison scored the resultant penalty in the Toffees’ 2-1 win.
Toon boss Bruce benefited from Dier’s handball but that did not stop him from saying the rule is ruining football.
Ward was done for handball here in Palace’s loss to Everton
Spurs were on course for all three points in their Premier League clash at home to the Magpies as the game went into injury time.
But a ball into the box clipped Dier’s arm, and after consulting with VAR and checking the pitchside TV cameras referee Peter Bankes awarded the penalty.
Spurs boss Mourinho stormed off down the tunnel and Callum Wilson equalised from the spot to seal a dramatic point for his team.
But despite coming away with something from the game, Bruce blasted the decision and called for managers to “get together” to get the rules changed.
‘GO BESERK’
He said: “I can understand why Spurs will go berserk and Roy Hodgson reacted like he did.
“It is a total nonsense, we should be jumping through hoops but I would be devastated if that was us.
“Maybe Roy is right, maybe we all need to get together. The decisions are ruining the spectacle.
“We have to get together as managers and say this must stop.”
Clive Tyldesley says stop moaning about handball and do something to change it
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
