日本語
Soccer Laws Dojo

Judge DB

2026/27 J1 League Matchweek 7 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Cerezo Osaka

[Handball] A header from a corner kick strikes an outstretched arm and a penalty kick is awarded

Written by Karakasa, Class 2 Football Referee Published

An original analysis of real match footage.

Final Decision

Handball

Excellent decision

From a Sanfrecce Hiroshima corner kick, the ball came into the goalmouth; the players challenging for it did not touch it, and a Hiroshima player directly behind them headed it. The ball struck the outstretched arm of a Cerezo Osaka player, and the referee awarded a penalty kick for a handball offence.

Referee Review

Why was this decision made?

See the key points from a referee’s perspective

Show explanation

How the footage and Laws apply

There are two things to look at in this scene. The first is the handball offence. The ball struck the arm from close range in open play, but looking at the position of the arm, it can be seen that the player was making their body unnaturally bigger and forming a block. On that basis, the decision of a handball offence appears to be a very reasonable one. The second is the referee's movement. As the corner kick came in, the referee watched the flight of the ball and the players' positions, taking small steps to prepare the best possible view. It is likely that this preparation is what allowed the referee to judge the handball offence correctly. It was an excellent decision, with preparation leading to an accurate call.

Relevant Laws

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct (Handling the ball) / Law 5 - The Referee (Positioning)

Official references

Check the wording of the Laws

The links above lead to official IFAB and JFA resources. The application of the Laws to this incident is the author’s analysis and is not an official view of IFAB, JFA or the competition organiser.

Want to test your understanding of this decision?

Build confidence with more Laws of the Game questions in the app.

Try more questions in the app

Related Scenes