At the same time, the 44-year-old complained that despite the video assistant (VAR), controversial decisions were constantly being made. “From the overall process of the VAR construct, it was more grist for the mills of those who want to see the video evidence abolished again,” said Schultz, who had criticized the rule interpretation in terms of handball several times in the past.
Teacher Wagner: Discussions have increased
In general, debates about the question of “hand or not hand” are almost the order of the day. “The discussions have increased because everything is more transparent. But also because the rule has been changed so often in recent years that some people lack understanding or ignorance. Maybe you can’t always be up to date because you don’t notices how quickly things have changed,” says Lutz Wagner to NDR.
The 59-year-old was a referee in the Bundesliga for years and now works as a referee instructor at the German Football Association (DFB).
Handball rule modified several times
Wagner addresses what is perhaps the most serious problem: Handball has always been a matter of interpretation. But for decades, handball is only punishable if there is a clear intention. Or in Wagner’s words: “It used to be like this: If someone caught the ball, it was hand, everything else rather doubtful.”
However, the rule-keepers of the world association FIFA saw this generous interpretation as no longer up-to-date and wanted to make the interpretation more “football-friendly” through all sorts of modifications. Everyone can judge for themselves whether this has actually been successful.
Hand penalty in the Bundesliga
Season 2015/16: 12 (14% of all penalties)
Season 2016/17: 8 (8%)
Season 2017/18: 14 (15%) – Introduction of the video assistant
Season 2018/19: 31 (34%)
Season 2019/20: 17 (23.7%)
Season 2020/21: 26 (23%)
Source: GSN
In any case, the number of penalized handballs has increased, which can be seen not least from the number of penalties imposed.
Two essential criteria for handball
But what counts now? “Before the current season, two essential criteria were agreed,” says Wagner: intention is still the most important criterion for punishable handball.
The second benchmark for punishable handball is the so-called “enlargement of the defensive area”. “The referee has to ask himself: is he doing it with the intention of stopping the ball,” Bundesliga referee Deniz Aytekin explained in an interview with NDR.
When it comes to the question of “penalties or not”, the decisive factor for the referees is whether the ball was shot in the direction of the goal.
St. Paulis Coach Schultz: Nobody sees through that anymore
Actually quite simple. Or not? Rather not, says St. Pauli’s coach Schultz: “The handball rule has gotten so confusing that no one can see through it anymore,” he said most recently after the home win against Heidenheim.
Wagner, on the other hand, emphasizes: “It’s a regulation that a footballer understands because it does football justice. But of course it also requires a football-friendly and intelligent interpretation from the referee.”
Where there is interpretation, there are different views
And that brings us back to a core problem: There are definitely different opinions on where to interpret and lay out – especially in times when the Bundesliga stadiums are equipped with two dozen cameras.
“When a handball situation is shown, you see it from 24 perspectives. That’s just a lot of input. And then the discussion really gets going,” says Aytekin.
In the past three years, around half of the hand penalty decisions were made with the help of the video assistant. This underlines how tricky the task for the referee on the pitch is.
Dispute over penalties in the north derby HSV – Werder
Before each season, players and coaches are briefed in detail on the interpretation of the rules. But if it is to their own detriment, the applicable criteria are often “forgotten” or interpreted differently. An example can be seen in the northern derby between HSV and Werder Bremen (2:3), when Jonas Meffert blocked a shot on goal by Ömer Toprak with his arm in the early stages.