Reply To: U.S. & International Soccer

Unintentional hand balls? Not sure what that means but not every ball to hand contact in the box is a pen

So what you’re saying is only intentional hand balls in the box are penalties?

If he is saying that he is wrong. If a player say jumps in anticipation of heading a ball, or while lined up in a wall during a free kick from outside the box – and their arm drifts away from their body and the ball makes contact somewhere on their hand/arm – it is going to be called a penalty almost every time. If the ball strikes somewhere on the hand/arm while their arm is at their side and/or contact is judged to be unintentional (close enough distance the contact was unavoidable) and it’s most likely judged it was inadvertent then it most likely will not be called a penalty.