Hand ball - lets break it down!

In soccer, a "hand ball" is when a player touches the ball with their hand or arm. This is usually against the rules and results in a penalty.

1. Hand to Ball: This happens when a player moves their hand or arm toward the ball on purpose. This is almost always considered a hand ball because the player is trying to control, direct or block the ball with their hand or arm.

2. Ball to Hand: This happens when the ball accidentally hits a player's hand or arm. If the player didn't mean to touch the ball and their hand was in a natural position, held close to the body and not purposefully trying to direct or block the ball from going forward, it might not be considered a hand ball.

The "hand ball" rule covers the entire arm, from the tips of the fingers up to just below the shoulder. So, if the ball hits any part of the arm, it can be considered a hand ball, not just the hand.

In summary, a hand ball in soccer is when the ball touches any part of a player's arm (from shoulder to hand). It's judged differently based on whether the player moved their hand to the ball (intentional) or the ball hit their hand by accident and is the sole discretion of the referee.