What counts as a handball in soccer?
A handball is when a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand or arm, or makes their body 'unnaturally bigger' with the arm. Any touch with the arm above shoulder height is an offence. Accidental contact off a close deflection usually isn't penalised — referee judgment decides.
- 1It is an offence to deliberately touch the ball with the hand or arm, or to score with the hand/arm[1]
- 2Making the body 'unnaturally bigger' with the arm is an offence; an arm above shoulder height is automatically too high[1]
- 3For handball, the arm is measured from the bottom of the armpit downward[1]
- 4Accidental contact (e.g. ball hitting an arm in a natural position or after a close deflection) is judged case by case[2]
Handball causes the most arguments in soccer, because not every ball that hits an arm is a foul.
What is always a handball?
Deliberately handling the ball is always an offence, and so is scoring with a hand or arm — even by accident. Those are clear-cut.
What about accidental contact?
Referees judge the position of the arm. Making your body "unnaturally bigger" with an outstretched arm is a handball, and any contact above shoulder height is automatically too high.
What usually isn't penalised?
Genuinely accidental contact off a very close deflection, or the ball hitting an arm tucked in a natural position. The arm starts at the bottom of the armpit, so a touch on the shoulder doesn't count. A handball in your own box gives away a penalty.
There's no clean American-sports parallel, so this one just has to be learned: soccer is the sport where field players (everyone but the goalkeeper) basically can't use their hands or arms at all, and where they put their arms becomes a judgment call the referee — and VAR — has to make.
Key Takeaways
- A handball is deliberately touching the ball with the hand or arm, or making the body unnaturally bigger.
- Any touch with the arm above shoulder height is an offence; close accidental deflections usually are not.
- IFAB — Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct(accessed 2026-06-01)
- FIFA/IFAB — Refereeing: clarification of the handball Law(accessed 2026-06-01)