FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received a request from UEFA to re-adjust the hand rule to give referees more flexibility and prevent players from being unfairly punished. In a letter to Infantino collected by AP, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has requested that the November meetings of the game's legislators consider allowing referees to again determine whether or not a player was intentionally handled by hand.
Ceferin's request came after a series of penalties pointed out because balls, even without knowing it, hit the players with outstretched or raised arms. “Attempting to strictly define cases where ball handling is an offense has resulted in many unfair decisions that have been met with growing frustration and discomfort from the soccer community,” Ceferin wrote.
“The spirit of the game must be preserved at all times,” Ceferin said. “I think that going back to the previous wording, perhaps revised and integrated by a provision that does not allow scoring goals with the hand / arm, is an option to consider.” The letter was sent to Infantino on October 27, but Ceferin's case was bolstered on Tuesday by an incident in a Champions League match. A shot from Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham hit the Rennes defender Dalbert's leg and bounced off his outstretched arm. The result was that Dalbert received a second yellow card and a penalty that Timo Werner converted for Chelsea's second in a 3-0 victory.