By Martin Graham
Bill Shankly once said that football is “a simple game complicated by people who should know better”. The legendary Liverpool manager, who managed the club between 1959 and 1974, worked in an era far removed from today’s environment of social media, constant analysis and the introduction of video assistant referees.
If Shankly were still around in the modern game, he might have an even stronger view. Many fans now struggle to understand certain decisions during matches, especially when it comes to handball interpretations, offside decisions and the use of VAR.
Few regulations provoke as much debate as the handball law. The rule has been altered repeatedly in recent years, leaving players, coaches and fans unsure of what should or should not be penalized.
Former England striker Alan Shearer was openly critical of the situation when speaking to BBC Sport. He said he doesn’t like the current handball rule and thinks it’s been mishandled. According to Shearer, officials now take multiple factors into account, including whether the action was deliberate, the distance between the players and whether an arm position is natural or unnatural.
The law also contains a controversial clause about accidental handball, which automatically disallows a goal. This creates a situation where a forward can be penalized for something that a defender could get away with unpunished.
Statistics show that the Premier League concedes fewer penalties on average than the other major European leagues. However, this does not mean that the rule itself works well.
There are those who believe that handball was redefined because of VAR, but the timeline shows otherwise. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) began reviewing handball law in 2014, two years before the VAR trials began.
These revisions introduced several different conditions for judging handball incidents. Once VAR arrived, referees could analyze incidents more closely, which made it easier to identify technical offenses and led to an increase in penalties.
The VAR therefore exposed the weaknesses of the updated rule. Since then, the law has been repeatedly adjusted to try to make it clearer.
Many fans would prefer the previous approach where the umpires simply judged whether the contact looked intentional. However, a return to this simplicity is unlikely. Any revision would still require a precise definition, which could create new problems of interpretation.
Offside interpretations remain controversial
Another issue that often causes debate is the interpretation of offside when a player influences an opponent without touching the ball.
A notable example occurred on 9 November when Virgil van Dijk had a goal disallowed during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City. Andrew Robertson ducked under the ball, and the officials ruled that his movement affected goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The decision drew criticism from supporters who felt the offside rule had become too complicated. However, this principle has existed in the laws of football for over a century.
The 1903-04 edition of the Laws already stated that a player must not “interfere in any way with an opponent or the play”. Without this phrase, attackers could position themselves close to defenders or goalkeepers and intentionally distract them without technically being involved in the play.
While regulation can produce controversial decisions, removing it could create new tactical gaps. Given the game’s growing use in modern football, lawmakers are unlikely to abandon the rule.
Deliberate play and change of disciplinary rules
Another complex concept is the idea of ​​”deliberate play” by a defender. The term was introduced during the 2016–17 season to determine whether a defender’s touch could restart an offside phase.
Referees initially applied the rule strictly, which sometimes allowed attackers in offside positions to benefit from slight touches by defenders.
The regulation received more attention after a controversial moment in the final of the UEFA Nations League 2021. In that match, Eric Garcia stretched for a pass and made minimal contact before the ball reached Kylian Mbappe, whose goal secured France’s victory over Spain.
After the incident, Ifab clarified that a defender must have a realistic expectation of controlling the ball for the action to count as a deliberate play.
Even with the clarification, the wording still creates confusion. A defender may attempt to play the ball intentionally, but if there is no control, the action still cannot qualify as “deliberate play”.
Disciplinary laws have also evolved. When a defender denies an obvious scoring opportunity (Dogso) inside the penalty area, the penalty now depends on the nature of the challenge.
If the defender actually tries to win the ball, the penalty is usually a yellow card rather than a red. Only clearly cynical fouls, such as pushing or pulling, are more likely to lead to a dismissal.
As a result, incidents that previously resulted in red cards could now receive a warning.
The law surrounding the advantage has also created confusion among supporters. During a recent match, Arsenal striker Gabriel Martinelli was fouled by Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, but quickly got up and continued the attack.
Referee Darren England stopped play and showed Neto a second yellow card. Many Arsenal fans wondered why the advantage was not being played.
However, the law states that advantage should not normally be applied if a red card offense is to be shown, unless the attacking team has an immediate opportunity to score.
VAR has changed the way we experience matches. The system has slowed down the flow of games and produced extremely tight offside decisions that many fans find frustrating.
More importantly, he has turned arbitral decisions into detailed technical explanations. Supporters who once only debated a call now hear extensive reasoning that includes arm positions, criteria for violent conduct or possible red card reviews.
For some fans, this seems too complicated. Many believe that their understanding of the game, built up over years of watching football, is being replaced by legal style interpretations known primarily to referees.
However, the situation may soon become even more complex. A recent Ifab meeting introduced numerous legal adjustments that will come into effect during the World Cup and from the 2026-27 season onwards.
Among the proposals are VAR controls for corner decisions and reviews of second yellow cards once they have been issued, although similar controls will not apply to goal kicks or potential second bookings.
Additional changes include a five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks, although corners are excluded from this rule.
Substituted players will also have ten seconds to leave the field of play, while players receiving medical treatment must remain off the field for one minute before returning.
Even the Dogso regulations are slated to receive further tweaks.
Another idea to test is Arsene Wenger’s “in the light of day” interpretation of offside.
All these developments suggest that, rather than becoming simpler, football’s rulebook is likely to become even more detailed in the coming years.
