The handball rule, explained
Not every touch on the arm is handball. The Laws of the Game punish deliberate handling and arms that make the body bigger, and they're strict about goals scored off a hand. Here's the rule in plain words.
By Squadcard. Last updated .
In short
- The arm starts at the bottom of the armpit, so the shoulder isn't part of it.
- It's handball if you deliberately touch the ball with your hand or arm, or your arm made your body unnaturally bigger.
- A goal scored straight off a hand or arm doesn't count, even by accident.
- Not every touch on the arm is an offence: an arm in a natural position that the ball hits isn't handball.
Where the arm starts
For handball, the arm's upper edge is at the bottom of the armpit. So a ball off the shoulder is fine, and a goal scored off the shoulder counts.
When it's handball
- Deliberate: moving the hand or arm towards the ball, or reaching out to touch it.
- Unnaturally bigger: the ball hits a hand or arm that has made the body bigger, in a position the player's movement doesn't explain.
- Scoring: a player scores straight from their hand or arm, even accidentally, or immediately after the ball touched it.
When it isn't
A ball that hits an arm in a natural position, close to the body or explained by the movement, isn't handball. Nor is a ball off your own head or foot onto your arm when the arm wasn't making you bigger. A team-mate scoring after an accidental touch on your arm earlier in the move is also allowed: only the scorer's own hand matters for that rule.
The goalkeeper
Inside their own penalty area the goalkeeper can handle the ball, with limits: not from a team-mate's deliberate kick back to them or a team-mate's throw-in, and not again after releasing it before someone else touches it. Those are indirect free kicks: see the back pass rule and direct and indirect free kicks. Outside the area, a keeper is like any other player.
In 5-a-side the rules on keepers vary a lot: many venues keep outfield players out of the area and stop the keeper leaving it. Check our 5-a-side rules and agree them before you start.
The punishment
Handball is a direct free kick, or a penalty in the defending team's own area. Deliberate handball that stops a goal or an obvious goal-scoring chance is a red card; one that stops a promising attack is a yellow. More in yellow and red card rules.
Questions
Is it handball if it hits your arm?
Not always. It's handball if the touch was deliberate or the arm made the body unnaturally bigger. An arm in a natural position isn't an offence.
Is the shoulder handball?
No. The arm starts at the bottom of the armpit, so the shoulder isn't part of it.
Does an accidental handball goal count?
No. A goal scored straight from the scorer's hand or arm, even by accident, doesn't count.
Can a goalkeeper handle a back pass?
Not from a team-mate's deliberate kick or a throw-in. That's an indirect free kick to the other team.