FIFA rules about handball are simple: A deliberate handball is a penalty.
But that leaves lots of freedome to the referee to decide what is a deliberate handball and what isn't.
12.9 DELIBERATE HANDLING
The offense known as “handling the ball” involves deliberate contact with the ball by a player’s hand or arm
(including fingertips, or outer shoulder). “Deliberate contact” means that the player could have avoided the touch
but chose not to, that the player’s arms were not in a normal playing position at the time, or that the player
deliberately continued an initially accidental contact for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage. Moving hands
or arms instinctively to protect the body when suddenly faced with a fast approaching ball does not constitute
deliberate contact unless there is subsequent action to direct the ball once contact is made. Likewise, placing hands
or arms to protect the body at a free kick or similar restart is not likely to produce an infringement unless there is
subsequent action to direct or control the ball. The fact that a player may benefit from the ball contacting the hand
does not transform the otherwise accidental event into an infringement [emphasis added]. A player infringes the Law
regarding handling the ball even if direct contact is avoided by holding something in the hand (clothing, shinguard,
etc.).
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Usually when there is more than a meter and a half i.e enough time and distance to move the hand away from the ball, the referees give penalty if the ball hits the hand and they consider it a deliberate handball because the player had time to move his hand away but didn't. But when the distance is too short and there is no time at all to move your hands away, the referees mostly decide not to give a penalty. In today's case both the distance between Zlatan and the hand of the defender was around half a meter only and also the handball wasn't deliberate at all.
The ref could have easily given a penalty there though and claim that the defender shouldn't have had his hands in such position at first place.
Seedorf's case is crystal clear though. Deliberate hand ball. Hand to ball, not ball to hand as it was the case with the Bologna defender after Zlatan's cross.
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The guy has practically made himself a legend at that.
