In the 2023/24 Premier League season, a substantial number of penalties were awarded for handball incidents, totaling 108. Many clubs voiced concerns that penalties given for handballs were excessively harsh, especially when players’ arms were in natural positions.
For the current season, officials have adjusted the handball law to address these concerns. The rule now reduces the likelihood of penalties when the handball is not deliberate or when the player’s arm is close to their body. Additional changes include the introduction of yellow cards for players who deny goal-scoring opportunities through handball, provided it is not deliberate.
Howard Webb, speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, clarified the changes to the handball rule. Webb emphasized the importance of understanding intentional versus unintentional handball plays and the position of players’ arms during such incidents.
Howard Webb said, “So we said to the officials [to] look out for those situations where a player either deliberately handles the ball or has an arm that’s well away from the body. We have seen situations where the ball has hit an arm in the penalty area this season, but the referees have applied what we asked them to, and they’ve stepped away in terms of handball unless it’s deliberate or very clearly unjustifiable.”
This season also sees changes in the use of VAR, aiming to reduce the frequency of interventions unless the on-field decision is blatantly incorrect. Enhanced communication strategies are being implemented, including the display of disallowed goals on big screens in stadiums. Despite these updates, controversies around VAR persist, such as in the incident where Fernandes later had his red card rescinded upon appeal.
