Referees clarify handball rule in Italy

Referees in Italy have clarified their managing of handballs and fouls by goalkeepers in the 18-yard-box. Following a meeting in Bologna the head of the Italian Referees' Commission Stefano Braschi revealed what had been agreed. "For a handball, a yellow card should be shown only when it stops a move considered important or when the gesture is not just voluntary but glaring, blatant or shameless," he said. "In other cases there should only be a free-kick or penalty." As for fouls by goalkeepers in the area, Braschi said they should always result in a red card unless: "the action is out wide or there are many defenders behind (the goalkeeper). "It is not enough for there to be just one defender behind him as this situation remains very dangerous." Both issues have caused controversy in Italy where referees have often been accused of being trigger-happy in their use of yellow and red cards for seemingly innocuous offences.