What Is a Handball in Football? Rules Explained

What is a handball in football? It is the name for the moment a player touches the ball with the hand or arm in a way that breaks IFAB Law 12. For example, a defender may block a shot with an outstretched arm. Or a striker may push the ball into the net with a hand. In both cases, the referee stops play and gives a free kick or a penalty. In short, handball is one of football’s most argued-about rules.

Last updated: November 2026

Quick Answer

• A handball is a touch of the ball with the hand or arm that breaks IFAB Law 12.
• It is an offence when the touch is deliberate, the arm makes the body unnaturally bigger, or it leads directly to a goal.
• It is not an offence when the arm is in a natural position, or the ball ricochets off the player’s own body.
• A handball outside the penalty area gives a direct free kick; inside the area, it gives a penalty.
• A deliberate handball that denies a goal means a red card.

What Is a Handball in Football?

Handball is a foul under IFAB Law 12, the law that covers fouls and misconduct. In simple terms, players must play the ball with their feet, head or body. They must not use their hands or arms. For example, a goalkeeper is the only player who may handle the ball. And only inside the goalkeeper’s own penalty area. For the full picture, see our guide to football rules.

In fact, one detail matters a lot. For handball purposes, the arm starts at the bottom of the armpit. In other words, a ball that hits the shoulder above that line is not handball. Therefore, a striker who chests the ball down with the top of the shoulder has played it fairly. But a defender who stops a cross with the upper arm has handled it.

What Is a Handball in Football? When It Is an Offence

A handball is an offence in three situations. First, the touch is deliberate: a player moves the hand or arm towards the ball. Then the referee blows the whistle at once.

Second, the touch happens when the arm has made the body unnaturally bigger. In other words, the arm sits in a position that the player’s body movement does not explain. By holding the arm there, the player takes a risk of being penalised. For instance, a defender who jumps with both arms raised wide has made the body bigger. Then a ball that hits one of those arms is usually handball.

Third, the touch leads directly to a goal. For example, a player scores in the opponents’ goal directly from the hand or arm, even by accident. Then the goal does not count. In addition, a player who scores or creates a chance immediately after the ball touched their hand or arm commits an offence. That applies even by accident.

When a Touch Is Not a Handball

Many fans ask what is a handball in football when the ball strikes an arm by accident. First, the arm may be close to the body. Or it may sit in a natural position for the movement the player is making. For example, arms move when a player runs, jumps, turns or slides. Then a ball that hits an arm in one of those positions is not handball.

Second, the ball may ricochet off the player’s own body or leg onto the hand or arm. The player had no time to move the arm away.

Third, the arm may be used to break a fall: a player who slips may put a hand down to stop a hard landing, and a ball that hits that arm is not an offence.

Finally, since 2021, an accidental handball by a team-mate in the build-up is not an offence, so only the player who handled the ball is penalised.

What Is a Handball in Football? Arm and Body Position

Above all, the hardest part of the handball law is judging the arm. The 2024/25 Laws restored the emphasis on deliberate intent as the primary test, with contextual judgement encouraged. In other words, the referee asks whether the arm position fits the particular action the player was making.

In fact, natural position is not a fixed shape. For example, the arms do not have to stay pinned to the sides at all times. A player who jumps for a header needs the arms for balance. In both cases, the referee judges the arm against the movement.

In addition, the referee looks at the distance between the player and the ball. For instance, a ball struck from close range gives the player no time to move the arm.

What Happens After a Handball?

A handball outside the penalty area gives the other team a direct free kick. But a handball by a defending player inside their own penalty area gives a penalty kick.

A deliberate handball that denies a goal or an obvious chance means a red card. In contrast, an accidental handball that denies a goal and brings a penalty means a yellow card. A deliberate handball that stops a promising attack brings a yellow card. But an accidental one that gives a penalty brings no card.

The table sums up the punishments.

Situation	Restart	Card
Handball outside the area	Direct free kick	No card, unless it stops an attack
Handball inside the area	Penalty kick	No card, unless it denies a goal
Deliberate handball denying a goal	Penalty kick or free kick	Red card
Accidental handball denying a goal (penalty given)	Penalty kick	Yellow card
Handball stopping a promising attack	Free kick or penalty	Deliberate: yellow; accidental: no card

What Is a Handball in Football? Goalkeepers and the Back-Pass Rule

Meanwhile, goalkeepers follow a different rule and may handle the ball inside their own penalty area. For the full guide, see what a goalkeeper is in football.

However, the goalkeeper may not handle a deliberate back-pass from a team-mate’s foot. Nor may the goalkeeper handle a throw-in from a team-mate. In that case, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the other team. For example, a back-pass on purpose forces the goalkeeper to use the feet.

Famous Handballs in Football History

First, on 22 June 1986, Argentina met England in the World Cup quarter-final at the Estadio Azteca. In the 51st minute, Maradona punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The goal stood because the referees did not see it. Maradona later said it was scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God”. Argentina won 2-1.

Next, Thierry Henry produced another famous handball on 18 November 2009. In the second leg of the 2010 World Cup play-off against Ireland, Henry handled the ball twice. Then he passed to William Gallas, who scored in the 103rd minute. France won 2-1 on aggregate and qualified.

Luis Suárez made a different choice in the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup against Ghana on 2 July 2010. In the final moments of extra time, Suárez palmed Dominic Adiyiah’s header off the line with his hands. He was sent off and Ghana got a penalty. But Asamoah Gyan hit the crossbar, and Uruguay won the shoot-out.

On 9 June 2007, Lionel Messi scored with his hand for Barcelona against Espanyol in La Liga. His goal was similar to Maradona’s Hand of God.

What Is a Handball in Football? VAR and Close Decisions

Finally, video review has changed how handball is judged. When the referee misses a possible handball, or a goal follows one, the video assistant referee checks the incident. For a full guide, see how VAR works.

In addition, VAR can only advise the referee. The final decision stays with the referee on the pitch. As a result, the same type of handball can still look different from one match to the next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a handball in football, and is every touch an offence?

No. A handball is an offence only when the touch breaks IFAB Law 12. That means a deliberate touch, an unnaturally bigger arm, or a touch that leads directly to a goal. A ball that hits an arm in a natural position is not an offence.

Is it handball if the ball hits my arm by accident?

Not always. An accidental touch is an offence only when the arm has made the body unnaturally bigger. Or when the touch leads directly to a goal or a goal-scoring opportunity. It depends on the arm position and what happened next.

Is it handball if the ball hits my shoulder?

No, as long as the ball hits the shoulder above the bottom of the armpit, where the arm starts. So the top of the shoulder counts as part of the body, not the arm.

Does a handball in the penalty area always mean a penalty?

Yes. When a defending player commits a handball offence inside their own penalty area, the referee awards a penalty kick. A deliberate handball that denies a goal means a red card, but an accidental one means a yellow card.

Can a goalkeeper be called for handball?

Yes, but only outside the goalkeeper’s own penalty area, or when the goalkeeper handles a deliberate back-pass or throw-in from a team-mate inside the area. Inside the area, the goalkeeper may handle the ball freely, apart from those cases.

Conclusion

So what is a handball in football, in the end? It is not every touch of the ball with the hand or arm. The law punishes deliberate touches, arms that make the body unnaturally bigger, and touches that lead straight to a goal. At the same time, it protects players whose arms are in a natural position.