The three tests

A handball offence is judged on:

1. Arm position — Is the arm in a "natural" position relative to the body and the movement? Arms tucked at sides moving naturally with running are usually natural. Arms held wide or above shoulder height are usually unnatural.
2. Body shape — Did the arm make the body unnaturally bigger? An arm that adds blocking surface beyond the body silhouette is treated as making the body unnaturally bigger.
3. Intent — Did the player deliberately play the ball with their arm? Deliberate handball is always an offence.

Any one of those can produce a handball.

When accidental handball is still penalised

This is the part that surprises fans. Even a fully accidental handball can be punished if the result is a goal:

• By the scorer themselves — accidental handball immediately before the goal disallows the goal
• By a teammate in the immediate build-up — same outcome, goal disallowed

This rule was tightened specifically to prevent goals scored after a chance fell off an attacker's arm.

When accidental handball is not penalised

• A defender's arm at their side, ball strikes them from close range — usually not given
• A deflection that strikes the arm with no time to react — usually not given
• Arm is supporting the body during a fall, ball strikes it — usually not given (the arm is not making the body unnaturally bigger)

Penalty area handball

Inside the box, the same tests apply but the consequence is a penalty kick. Defenders raising an arm to block a cross — even if the contact is accidental — frequently results in a penalty under the body-shape test.

Why this gets controversial

The arm-position test is judgement-heavy. What counts as "natural" depends on whether the player was running, falling, or blocking — and on what the arm was doing relative to that motion. Two referees can disagree on the same clip.