The rules regarding handballs in football have changed from this season, referee Bas Nijhuis said on Friday night Veronica Binne. If a defender does not keep his arms next to his body, he will in future receive a penalty kick if he gets the ball on his arm or hand. It does not apply to the upper part of the arm (see the picture below for clarification). The new rules apply nationally and internationally.

There has been a lot of talk about handball in football for years. For years the rule was that there should be conditional intent, but it has now been abandoned. “Last year it was already the case that offensive hands, intentional or unintentional, were rejected, which was super easy for us,” says Nijhuis. “Now it also becomes more defensive. If a player has his arms next to his body, there is nothing wrong. But if the player widens himself, the arms are away from him, then everything is actually hands off the armpit. . is unintentional. ‘

Nijhuis hopes that the booking will decrease due to the new rule. “It will also be much easier for the VAR,” the arbitrator said. “You were there as a VAR and you can actually support both situations. One game gives you a penalty kick, and the other game does not. It made it difficult. I will get a lot more penalties now. You can get that arm there. “It’s not going to cut it either, so it’s going to happen.”

The rule regarding custodians coming off the track too early for penalty kicks is also changing. “Last year it was immediately a yellow card. Now they said: goalkeepers do not immediately turn yellow, but first a reprimand. Then it is not punished immediately. And: if the ball goes wide, or against the post, “the penalty kick. not taken over, even if the goalkeeper comes off the line too early. Unless the goalkeeper really influences the penalty keeper, for example by going extremely far.”