Handball in soccer, explained for kids
In soccer, handball is an offence when a player touches the ball with a hand or arm on purpose, or with an arm that makes the body unnaturally bigger. Not every touch of the ball on an arm is a handball, and a goalkeeper may use the hands inside their own penalty area.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Handball: diagram
What the referee looks for
- Did the hand or arm move toward the ball on purpose?
- Was the arm in a place that made the body unnaturally bigger for what the player was doing?
- Where the ball touched. The arm starts at the bottom of the armpit, so the shoulder is not handball.
- Did the ball go into the goal off an attacker’s hand or arm, or right after it? That goal does not count, even by accident.
- Where it happened: a handball by a defender inside their own penalty area is a penalty kick.
Rule: Law 12. Read it in the Laws of the Game (The IFAB).
Common mix-ups
“It hit their hand, so it is a handball.”
The Law says not every touch is an offence. A ball that hits an arm held close to the body is usually not a handball.
“The shoulder counts.”
It does not. The top of the arm is level with the bottom of the armpit.
“Goalkeepers can always use their hands.”
Only inside their own penalty area, and not after a teammate deliberately kicks the ball to them or throws it to them from a throw-in.
“A handball in the box is always a penalty.”
Only when a defender commits it. A handball by an attacker gives the defending team a direct free kick.
In 7v7, 9v9, 11v11 and futsal
| Game | How the rule works |
|---|---|
| 7v7 and 9v9 | The same rule. With young players, referees and coaches usually explain rather than punish an accident. |
| 11v11 | Law 12 in full. |
| Futsal | The same handball rule. The goalkeeper may use the hands only inside the penalty area, and not after a teammate deliberately kicks the ball to them, even from a kick-in. |
These are the Laws of the Game and typical US youth standards. Your league may differ, so check its rules. Sources: IFAB Laws of the Game (current edition), U.S. Soccer small-sided standards, US Youth Soccer playing rules (December 2025) and the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26. Checked on November 10, 2026.
Questions about handball
Is it a handball if it is an accident?
Usually not. The two big exceptions: if the arm made the body unnaturally bigger, and if an attacker scores with the hand or arm, or straight after the ball touched it.
Is the shoulder a handball in soccer?
No. The Laws put the top of the arm in line with the bottom of the armpit, so a ball played with the shoulder is fine.
What does the referee give for a handball?
A direct free kick, or a penalty kick if a defender handles the ball inside their own penalty area.
Can a goalkeeper get a handball?
Yes, outside their own penalty area. Inside it, a keeper who handles the ball when not allowed, such as a pass back from a teammate’s foot, gives away an indirect free kick.
Lessons that go with this rule
- Your Keeper Can Help (7v7 lesson)Pass back to your keeper when the way is clear. The keeper must play it with their feet, not hands. If it's covered, pick another teammate.
- Build With the Goalkeeper (9v9 lesson)Use the goalkeeper to connect around pressure, then change the plan if that lane closes.
- Keeper: Defend the Goal or the Space (Futsal lesson)Adjust the goalkeeper’s depth to the attacker’s threat and whether a defender still provides cover.
Keep reading
- Museum: The goalkeeper’s handsThe history, in the History Museum (1912)
- Goalkeeper in soccerThe one player who may use their hands
- Center back in soccerThe defender in the middle of the back line
- Defensive midfielder in soccerThe player who protects the middle
- Soccer fouls and free kicks: direct vs indirectLaws 12 and 13, with a diagram
- Soccer penalty kick rules for kidsLaw 14, with a diagram
- All soccer rules for kids16 rules explained for kids, each with a diagram: offside, handball, throw-ins and more
- Soccer terms for kids: an A-Z glossary92 soccer words in plain English, from advantage to yellow card, 18 with a diagram
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.