The rule for handball was recently changed. On the 2nd of March 2019, the IFAB decided to change a number of rules, and while most of the changes were for the better, the change for the handball rule was not. It is clear that their goal was to precise what a handball is, and what it is not.

Since then, countless situations happened where it was clear that the change only led to more confusion and put even more pressure on the referee. These situations always lead to the same result : an unanimously unjust punishment. It is fair to say that for most of these situations, a penalty kick being given is not the right answer. 

Law 12 of the game use several unclear words to describe what a handball is and when a free kick is supposed to be awarded. According to the FA, it awards a free kick/penalty kick when a player :

- deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball

- scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper

- after the ball has touched their or a team-mate’s hand/arm, even if accidental, immediately scores in the opponents’ goal

- creates a goal-scoring opportunity

- touches the ball with their hand/arm when the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger

- the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)

It is fair to say that several words used here to describe a handball and help the referee are actually quite unclear. What makes a body "unnaturally bigger"'?  In what situation can a handball create a goal scoring situation without being in any other situation stated above? 

Moreover, the new rules do not fix what is without a doubt the main problem causing controversy : in many cases, a penalty kick is not the right sanction for a handball by a player in his own box. Penalty kicks' conversion rate is around 75%, and many handballs do not prevent direct goal scoring opportunities. It is then unjust to offer 3/4 of a chance to score a goal for what is a harmless handball (for exemple, the player touches the ball with his arm, a penalty kick is awarded, even though the ball would have landed safely on his teammates feet if he did not touch it). New rules need to address these issues : perhaps awarding a corner kick for harmless handballs in the box, letting the referee judge the prevented opportunity through the use of VAR. This is just an exemple, 

A sport is defined by its rules. If the rules are unjust and unbalanced, the sport is ruined. UEFA, IFAB, FIFA, managers and players all need to sit around a table as these issues need to be discussed. 

Please, help us save the beautiful game. Save football. Sign this petition, make your voice count. 

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