UEFA chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti met with the Italy squad ahead of Euro 2020, outlining adjustments to the handball rule and warning to avoid obvious protests.
The former referee sat down with the Azzurri to explain how they should behave going into the upcoming delayed tournament.
According to news agency ANSA, he warned they should not make a big show of protests with waving arms and shouting at the referee, because this will not be tolerated the way it is in Serie A.
Other changes include yet another tweak to the handball rule, which had been discussed last month with a briefing to referees.
“As the interpretation of handball incidents has not always been consistent due to incorrect applications of the law, IFAB has confirmed that not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence,” noted the UEFA statement.
“In terms of the criterion of the hand/arm making a player’s body “unnaturally bigger”, IFAB has also confirmed that referees should continue to use their judgment in determining the validity of the hand/arm’s position in relation to the player’s movement in that specific situation.
“It is a handball offence if a player:
– deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball;
– touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised;
or
– scores in the opponents’ goal:
– directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper; or
– immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.
“Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence.”
All 24 teams will receive a similar visit from a UEFA official to make sure everyone understands the rules going into the tournament.