New Handball Rule Can Be Applied to Euro 2020, According to UEFA

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has recently amended one of the rules of football. In particular, IFAB has inaugurated a new handball rule. As you well know, it’s “illegal” for a player to hit the ball with his hands or arms in football.

However, this rule has created a fair number of controversies. The most glaring controversies arise when the player in question accidentally hits the ball with his arms or hands. In fact, this rule has voided a number of goals due to accidental handball.

The most recent (and perhaps prominent) case of this was last March during the Premier League. In the match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, the VAR (virtual assistant referee) voided Fulham’s goal against Tottenham. This left Fulham on the losing side of the match.

This was because the ball hit Mario Lemina’s arm during the buildup of the goal by Josh Maja. To add insult to injury, Lemina’s arm was to his side in a completely natural position. Thus, the handball was accidental on all possible accounts.

This created the awkward situation where a goal was disallowed because a player kicked the ball into the arm of a player from the opposing team before his teammate scored the goal. Needless to say, many criticised the decision to suspend the goal.

Fans and pundits alike decried the decision, calling it “disappointing”, “disgraceful”—amongst other adjectives. Moreover, Fulham’s manager, Scott Parker, even went so far as to say that VAR is “killing” football’s excitement.

The IFAB’s Decision to Finally Amend the Handball Rule

The cause of all the trouble was due to the IFAB’s simplifying the rule to a great degree. Thus, it turned out that any instance of the ball touching any player’s arm or hand would constitute a foul according to the rules of the game.

The rule applies regardless of whether the handball was accidental or intentional. This resulted in the rule coming under heavy fire. Faced with intense criticism and even going so far as to say it was leading to ‘inconsistent interpretations’, the IFAB finally decided to amend it in March.

The amended rule now states a goal will not be rendered void if there is a case of accidental handball in its build-up. Everyone, including UEFA itself, welcome this rule change. In fact, UEFA’s chief refereeing officer, Roberto Rosetti, said the decision is more in line with ‘the spirit of football’.

At the same time, Rosetti emphasised the necessity for ‘clear evidence’ for the VAR to disallow a goal. Thus, officials will now apply the handball rule with a lot more careful consideration. Moreover, officials will properly weigh the evidence before disallowing any goals.

New Handball Rule to Be Implemented at Euro 2020

The IFAB will allow tournament organisers to implement the updated rule at their own discretion. Thus, the officials running the football Euro Championship will implement this rule. The Euro will be kicking off this 11th June.

Thus, if you’re going to be enjoying some football Euro betting this year, it’ll serve you well to keep in mind this update in the rules of the game. Finally, remember to log on to your Betiton™ account during the UEFA Euro and to play responsibly!