Howard Webb Calls Football’s Accidental Handball Law ‘A Nonsense’ and Demands Reform

English refereeing chief Howard Webb has called for football’s accidental-handball law to be changed, saying the current wording creates “ridiculous situations”.

Webb highlighted Harry Maguire’s involvement in Manchester United’s recent goal against Ipswich.

Maguire accidentally handled the ball before shooting.

His effort then deflected off Jacob Greaves and was recorded as an own goal, meaning the goal was allowed to stand.

Had Maguire’s shot gone directly into the net after exactly the same accidental handball, the goal would automatically have been disallowed.

Webb described that distinction as “a nonsense”.

He wants officials instead to apply the normal handball test – whether a player deliberately handled the ball or made their body unnaturally bigger.

That would remove the automatic offence currently created when an accidental handball immediately precedes a player’s own goal.

Webb made the comments during Match Officials Mic’d Up.

During the same appearance, he acknowledged that VAR officials had suffered “tunnel vision” when they wrongly allowed Erling Haaland’s winner in the Manchester derby.

The VAR officials involved in that decision remain stood down until after the international break.

Webb’s latest intervention goes beyond criticism of an individual refereeing decision.

The head of elite refereeing in England says the law itself needs changing.

Sources

• The Guardian – Webb calls accidental handball law ‘a nonsense’ and demands reform
• Reuters – Webb says VAR ‘tunnel vision’ caused Manchester derby error