MATCH
READY REF

LAW 12 · Fouls and Misconduct · 2026/27

A defender tries to kick the ball out. The ball hits the arm of another defender who is standing close in their penalty area and does not expect the ball to come from a team-mate. What is the correct decision?

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THE DECISION

The referee allows play to continue. It is not a handball offence – the defender is not considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger (whether or not the arm was close to the body or already extended).

Read official Law 12 ↗