What Constitutes A "Hand Ball"?

One of the most misapplied calls is the "hand ball" call. Many think that if a ball touches a player on the hand or arm at ANY TIME it is automatically a hand ball - It isn't.

The RefBlog has a great write up on this and is recommended for all coaches and parents to read - click here to read it.

The rules are very clear on what constitutes a "hand ball", from Law 12 of "The Laws of the Game" on what is a direct kick foul -

"handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own goal area)"

The key word there is "deliberately". If a ball hits a player on the arm or hand, the referee is going to ask himself the question "Was that ball hitting hand or hand hitting ball?" If the referee thinks that it was the ball hitting the hand and the player did not touch the ball on purpose, then they will not make the call, because there was no foul.

Last season, one of my players tripped a fell down right in front of ball. The opposing player made a kicking move. My player covered her face to protect herself from the kick. The opposing player kicked the ball and it hit the back of my player's arm (covering her head). The referee did not call a hand ball and that was the correct call. Because my player was not deliberately trying to touch the ball, she was protecting herself from a kick and in the process the ball hit her.

So remember, the key word in a hand ball is "deliberate" action by the player. If there is no deliberate action by the player, there is no foul.

Without Referees, Teams Forfeit

From Coach Aaron -

Below is an article from "Florida Today" that appeared in their Oct. 22, 2006 edition. It talks about how the last games for a youth football season were canceled due to referees refusing to show up due to parent and coach harassment. Being a referee myself, I have seen some terrible behavior out of adults that borders on criminal in nature. I have had to throw coaches and parents out of games. Luckily, I have never had to take the steps in the below article, but I have threatened to end a match if behavior did not improve.

Many referees are doing it, because it is suppose to be fun and a way to return something to the game that they love. Are referees going to make mistakes? Absolutely! They are human. However, no one is allowed to question their call to the point of harassment.

Enjoy the article.

By Autumn Phelps
Parents, coaches and players for the Port St. John Rockets youth football league were dispirited Saturday after having to forfeit all home games against the Sebastian Sharks, which would have been each division's final regular-season game of 2006.

Tackle games were canceled because volunteer referees representing the Mid-Coast Officials Association refused to show up, Port St. John league officials said.

Animosity between referees and Rockets coaches began during a Mighty Mites division game Monday, when a group of Rockets coaches and parents verbally assaulted four referees on the field.

"I think it's ridiculous that this even happened," said Kerri Dobbs, parent of a Pee Wee player and a rookie player in the league. "Parents need to learn to control themselves."

Instead of playing Saturday's scheduled tackle games, coaches gave players the option to participate in a "fun day" of playing flag football among themselves at Space Coast Sports Complex in Cocoa.

Brian Horton, head referee of the Mid-Coast Officials Association, told FLORIDA TODAY on Friday that Monday night's incident was the "final straw."

Referees demanded the presence of two uniformed officers at every youth football league in Brevard County; otherwise, they would not stay.

Horton said that the referees did not refuse to show up for Port St. John's games on Saturday, but that the league president forfeited the games first.

"It's a rumor," Horton said. "I don't know why they forfeited. You'd have to ask their league president." The Rockets' league president, Kurt Kolczynski, was unavailable for comment Saturday.

Rockets coaches and board members maintained that the only explanation for the forfeits was the referees did not show up. The Rockets' Mighty Mites division was suspended from its final game as well as the playoffs shortly after the incident Monday, but the rest of the league's divisions had planned to play their final games Saturday -- until they were "forced" to forfeit.

"I don't believe it's fair in any way," said Dave Inman, rookies division coach for the Rockets. "How can you penalize 500 kids for this?" Inman said the rookies would have been able to make it to the playoffs if they had beaten Sebastian, but now they aren't eligible.

A meeting of Brevard County Youth Football League officials will be held at 1 p.m. today to determine whether Port St. John teams can make up Saturday's games this week, reversing all of the forfeits.

"This really stinks for the kids," said Steve Crosby, player agent for the Rockets who will represent the league at today's meeting. "I don't know what's going to happen next year. I just hope the refs will eventually come back."

Parents say many of the players -- especially players on the teams who needed to win to make the playoffs -- were disappointed. "A lot of kids were so upset they were crying," said Chris Mancini, cheer agent for the league. Mancini said the Rockets cheerleaders still will be able to compete in county cheer competitions, but that they were looking forward to cheering at Saturday's games.

"They work really hard on the cheers for the games," said Renee Falkner, Mighty Mites cheer coach. "It's just too bad." Some Rockets fans blame the actions of parents and coaches that started the whole battle on Monday.

"I get upset at the referees sometimes, too," said Javier Calderin, an assistant coach in the league. "But you cannot cuss at a ref, especially when kids and families are around. There's no excuse for what happened."

On Monday, three parents of Port St. John players allegedly used profanity and others shouted insults, according to one of the referees on the field. The only games held at Space Coast Sports Complex on Saturday in addition to the tackle division's "fun day" were the league's flag division games. As a parent with two young children on Rockets flag football teams, Jack Mutter said he was disappointed in the behavior of tackle division parents.

"Parents need to set a better example for their children," said Mutter, who hopes to see both of his sons advance to tackle divisions some day. "It's a real shame that everyone has to pay the price because of some stupid actions. Youth football is about teaching the fundamentals of the game and having fun."

The Offside Rule

In soccer, an offside foul is called when an offensive player, or attacking player, is passed the ball and there are not at least two opponents between him or her and the goal line. Usually, these are the goalkeeper and one other defender, but not necessarily. The penalty for an offside foul is that the other team is given possession of the ball.

The rule was created to prevent offensive players from "cherry picking" near the opponents' goal. Without the rule, offensive players could hover near their opponents' goal even when the play is on the other side of the field, with the hope of a long pass and an easy goal. The offside rule still allows for the chance to score.

It's also important to note that offside applies at the moment the ball is passed, not at the moment the ball is received. Therefore, if the offensive player that will receive the pass is "onside" at the time the ball is passed, but then runs behind the unsuspecting defender before receiving the pass, the receiving offensive player is not offsides.

For a video to help explain this further, click here.

Relationships With Soccer Officials

Letter to the "Soccer Journal", the Official Publication of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. This letter appeared in the May-June 2008 issue.

"I read with interest the commentary on 'Officials v. Coaches' (Center Circle, November-December 2007). This is a serious issue because it is not just an issue between the coaches and the officials, but is becoming a worse issue between officials and players and their supporters.

I played since college until my knees gave out and have been a youth coach for about 30 years, a referee for more than 10 years and a referee trainer for almost five years. In addition, all my children played soccer in youth programs and in high school. They also tried college ball. I have seen a lot of change in the game, in officiating, in coaching and in supporters. I have been a player, I am a parent and supporter, I am a coach and I am an official. Thirty years ago you didn't see this erosion of relationship. So why is the relationship eroding now?

I believe it is because of several reasons. The foremost reason is that we still have many players, coaches, and supporters that do not understand the Laws of the Game, how officials try to allow the game to flow or how they are being taught to interpret the Laws.

Players think they know the rules because they have been playing for years. Some believe that because they are good players, they must know the game. But how often do I hear, "I got the ball first, ref." That may be true, but they also came in with their cleats up, which they do not realize or think about as a foul.

Coaches (high school, college, and professional) may read the Laws and may go through them extensively and generally know what the Laws say. This does not mean they understand the interpretation or the spirit of the Law. When a foul is or is not called and they disagree, were they watching for the foul or watching the general run of play? They may have missed what the official was watching for.

Supporters, in general, know next to nothing about the game and its laws. They do not understand offside and they especially do not understand 'advantage.' They are used to other American sports, where when a foul is called or committed it is sanctioned immediately. They do not understand why it is a foul one time and a play another.

My point is that a better job needs to be done educating coaches and especially players in what constitutes a foul or infringement of the Laws of the Game. It is not enough just to have read the Laws or to have had the Laws enforced upon us as a player. Educating coaches, players, and parents is the only way to begin to keep this relationship from eroding further.

Chris Burkett
Cortez, Colorado"