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The age old question with handball (armball?) laws is the notion of ball-to-hand or ball-to-arm. When someone jumps to block a cross or shot, it's a natural part of bipedal locomotion to use your arms when jumping, however there is, of course, a huge difference between jumping like a normal human being and jumping with your arms raised and hands out to deliberately block a ball with your arm. It pains me to paraphrase Mark Lawrenson but players have arms and they can't make them disappear. It's unnatural to jump with your arms in an police arrest position behind your back but that's what players seem to be taught these days. However being an unnatural motor action it's worth remembering that, at least; a player might instinctively jump with his arms in the way whether he meant to or not.
That's my opinion from a defensive side as a soccer goalkeeper and a gaelic full-back, at least. From an attacking perspective... I don't know enough to have an opinion. I'm sure it happens that a ball can ricochet off a defender onto your arm in a challenge by accident. Or an accurate attacker could feign a pass or cross and kick the ball at an opponent's arm to win an easy free kick or penalty.
If handball is handball and means handball, and any arm contact is considered a foul... I do think that's being overzealous.
The age old question with handball (armball?) laws is the notion of ball-to-hand or ball-to-arm. When someone jumps to block a cross or shot, it's a natural part of bipedal locomotion to use your arms when jumping, however there is, of course, a huge difference between jumping like a normal human being and jumping with your arms raised and hands out to deliberately block a ball with your arm. It pains me to paraphrase Mark Lawrenson but players have arms and they can't make them disappear. It's unnatural to jump with your arms in an police arrest position behind your back but that's what players seem to be taught these days. However being an unnatural motor action it's worth remembering that, at least; a player might instinctively jump with his arms in the way whether he meant to or not.
That's my opinion from a defensive side as a soccer goalkeeper and a gaelic full-back, at least. From an attacking perspective... I don't know enough to have an opinion. I'm sure it happens that a ball can ricochet off a defender onto your arm in a challenge by accident. Or an accurate attacker could feign a pass or cross and kick the ball at an opponent's arm to win an easy free kick or penalty.
If handball is handball and means handball, and any arm contact is considered a foul... I do think that's being overzealous.
Ok Watford for example do seem to have a high percentage of TV games on in November, the only game of theirs not on TV is the one against Burnley but this is surely an anomaly due to the TV companies trying to show some of the other teams, at least occasionally, rather than flat out bias or rating chasing. Their game against Southampton is the saints only TV game that month, same case with Norwich too.
