World Cup Moments: Diego Maradona and the Hand of God

April 14th, 2010 | by: Daryl |

This may be the most controversial goal in World Cup history. It’s from the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England, a game Argentina won 2-1 with Diego Maradona scoring twice. We all know about his second goal, so this post will focus on his first. The infamous “Hand of God” goal.

In the 51st minute, with the score at 0-0, Maradona played a ball out wide to Jorge Valdano. England’s Steve Hodge managed to dispossess Valdano, but could only kick the ball high into the air, back into the heart of the England penalty area. This set up an aerial challenge between England goalkeeper Peter Shilton (height: 6′ 1″) and Argentine attacking mid Diego Maradona (height: 5′ 5″). Shilton’s ball, yes?

No. Because Diego Maradona beat Shilton to the ball, extending his left hand and punching it past the England keeper and into the net. 1-0. Shilton and the other England players complained, as you would, but Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser had failed to spot the handball, and so the goal stood.

Obviously people in England both were and are very very upset about this goal. In the interests of full disclosure, I should make clear that I’m an England fan myself, and would prefer that this had never happened. When you see an opposition player clearly cheating and somehow getting away with it, and then winning the game (a World Cup quarter-final no less) as a result, it’s perfectly reasonable to wish bad bad things on El Diego.

However… it’s been 24 years since the “Hand of God” goal. Very nearly a quarter of a century. Plus, the front page of World Cup Blog is supposed to be neutral. So I think it’s worth trying to look back at this moment as dispassionately as possible. Excuse me while I attempt to compose myself.

…

One thing I’ve come to appreciate about this goal is the sheer ballsiness of it. I’d imagine most other players placed in Maradona’s situation of challenging a goalkeeper for a high ball, with an eight inch height difference disadvantage (and that’s before you factor in Shilton’s reach) would make a half-hearted jump for a ball they have no intention or expectation of winning. Because no one would blame them for losing that battle.

But Maradona wanted it. He wanted it bad enough to cheat. Not only that, he cheated cleverly, disguising his hand with his head at the moment he made contact with the ball. The referee could always disallow it, and maybe even show Maradona a yellow card, but in terms of risk vs reward, you can’t fault the logic behind Maradona’s decision to attempt the handball.

It’s also worth considering the symbolism of this moment. This is something I think I heard the BBC’s South American correspondent Tim Vickery explain. Or maybe I read it somewhere, but have forgotten the source. Or maybe I even thought this up myself, in which case well done me. But basically, Maradona is from one of the rougher parts of Buenos Aries, where kids need to use their wits to get by and to get ahead. By fair means or foul. A tiny #10 beating a gigantic goalkeeper through cunning and quick-thinking is exactly the type of street smarts needed to survive.

20060403-FalklandsWarTime Then there’s the historical and emotional context of this particular game to consider. England fans maybe forget this too easily when discussingh Maradona’s handball, but in 1986 the recent Falklands War (or the Malvinas War), in which Argentina suffered a militarily defeat to the United Kingdom and lost 649 lives, was still fresh in the memory of all Argentineans. Here’s what Maradona himself wrote in his autobiography, describing the build-up to the 1986 World Cup quarter-final:

I say a final because for us, because of everything it represented, we were playing a final against England. More than defeating a football team it was defeating a country. Of course, before the match, we said that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas War but we knew a lot of Argentinean kids had died there, shot down like little birds. This was revenge. It was like recovering a little bit of the Malvinas. In the pre-match interviews we had all said that football and politics shouldn’t be confused, but that was a lie. We did nothing but think about that. Bollocks was it just another match!
(from “El Diego” by Diego Maradona, pages 127-128)

That maybe doesn’t excuse the handball, but it definitely explains some of the motivation behind it. It’s Maradona doing what the Argentinean military couldn’t do, and defeating and bigger, stronger opponent through intelligence and cunning.

Let’s move on past the actual handball moment itself, because Maradona’s post-match comments are almost as famous in their own right. When asked about the goal in the post-match press conference, Maradona responded that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. Cheeky, but one of the all time great footballing lines.

Obviously Maradona knew he’d handballed at the time. But the Hand of God quote seems to be partially about not wanting to own up at the time, and partially about enjoying sticking it to the English. Here’s another excerpt from his autobiography, comparing the handball goal to his even more famous second goal:

Sometimes I think I almost enjoyed that one more, the first one. Now I feel I am able to say what I couldn’t then. At the time I called it ‘the hand of God’. Bollocks was it the hand of God, it was the hand of Diego! And it felt a little bit like pickpocketing the English…
(from “El Diego” by Diego Maradona, page 130)

I know opinion is strongly divided on Diego Maradona. Both love and hate are regularly sent in his direction. Though as an England fan I still feel cheated by the little man, I also recognize him as one of the all time great characters of the game. Not just for his talents with the ball, which were amply demonstrated later in the very same game (which will be a World Cup Moments post of its own soon) but because he’s one of those guys that creates incident and controversy wherever he goes, and in doing so makes the beautiful game that much more entertaining.

hand-of-god2 (1)

- More World Cup Moments here.

International Football News – World Cup Blog RSS Feed

chris

how you can like the chap after that quote i’ll never know, daryl.
http://england.worldcupblog.org daryl

Like is maybe too a strong word Chris, especially for Maradona the individual. It’s more that I appreciate the excitement and controversy he brings to the game, as with the Hand of God.
http://Mexico Daniel

I agree that Maradona cheated with the goal against England in 1986. On the other hand, I think Argentina would have defeated England that day because Argentina was the better team. Many mistakes have been committed through football history and they tend to be forgotten but not the “hand of God.” The reason is that the English like to retell a story, especially if it is to their advantage.

I shall give an example of a story that no one talk about today. In the match between England and Argentina in the 2002 world cup, Michael Owen was awarded a penalty which was no penalty. The Argentinian protested but have never talked about it again. England was repayed and that time Argentina eliminated.

I also agree that the Malvinas or Falklands war may have been in the mind of Maradona. But to say that he cheated because “Maradona is from one of the rougher parts of Buenos Aries, where kids need to use their wits to get by and to get ahead” is out of proportion. All kind of players cheat if they can: dope is an example and players simulate, fall to the ground and try to cheat the referee. There is so much prestige involved in a match like that that most, if not all, players would cheat. We have the example of Henry against Ireland recently. And there are many other examples in football and other sports where players cheat.
http://england.worldcupblog.org daryl

Daniel,

Just to clarify, I’m not saying that being from a rough part of the city makes you more likely to cheat. What I remember (possibly) Tim Vickery saying is that when you are from that sort of underdog upbringing, then having the cunning to get ahead even when the odds are against you is a prized trait. So it’s not so much about the fact that handballing is cheating, more about the level of intelligence with which it was performed.

The comparison with Henry’s handball is an interesting one. There’s nothing sly about Henry’s handball vs Ireland. It was absolutely blatant and the referee somehow missed it. Whereas Maradona didn’t get away with it just because of incompetent refereeing, but more because he deliberately disguised what he was doing.
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

Speaking of incompetent refereeing, do you remember the first goal incident during a match between Benfica and Liverpool @ Anfield on April 8, 2010

Liverpool goal: If anyone ever gets to talk to Michel Platini, tell him two extra officials don’t make any difference. Steven Gerrard swings over a CORNER and Dirk Kuyt heads it in. Simple? No, not really, because the assistant referee puts his flag up and it’s disallowed, before 30 seconds later the referee decides to give it.

“Offside from a corner? I’ve never heard of something so stupid in my life. Good goal.”

Sometimes it makes me wonder if it’s incompetent refereeing or favouritism/favoritism.

Even the linesman (assitant ref) didn’t see Diego handling the ball?
Mark the Dog

He as also offside!
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

Certainly he’s in an offside position Mark, but I think you’re only offside if a teammate plays the ball.

FIFA laws aren’t explicit on this, but do say:

“A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team”

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/81/42/36/lawsofthegameen.pdf (page 31)

Not 100% sure, but I think that since it was England’s Steve Hodge that played the ball, Maradona isn’t committing an offside offence.
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is touched or played by a team-mate is only committing an offside offence if, in the opinion of the referee, he becomes actively involved in play by

Interfering with play
-Playing or touching the ball

Interfering with an opponent
-Preventing the opponent from playing the ball by obstructing the player’s sight or intentionally distracting the opponent

Gaining an advantage by being in an offside position
-Playing the ball after the ball has rebounded off the goal, the goalkeeper, or any opponent

The above FIFA “not interfering with play” law was introduced lately (2003?). FIFA issued guidelines for interpreting the “not interfering with play” offside law in 2003 and these were incorporated in Law XI in July 2005

FIFA LAWS OF THE GAME 1986 (PAGE 22)
http://home.roadrunner.com/~david.oshea/FIFA_LOTG_1986_e.pdf

2. A player shall only be declared off-side and penalized for being in an offside position, if, at the moment the ball touches, or is played by, one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee
a. interfering with play, or with an opponent, or
b. seeking to gain an advantage by being in that position.

Did Diego interfere with play? Absolutely!

“Hand of God” or “Incompetent Refs”?

Blatter may be right that we need professional refs and not Instant Video Replays.
http://usa.worldcupblog.org/group-e/bethany-dempsey-help-me-out-please.html Dave Martinez

Hand of God . . . ? Never heard of it . . .
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

sscouser,

I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to say.

The question of Maradona being offside is nothing to do with his interfering with play or not. As I interpret the text we both posted, FIFA are stating that a players is only offside when the ball is played by a teammate. In this case it wasn’t, since it was Hodge that played the ball towards Maradona.
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

How long would the FIFA Laws of the game be if they included each and every detail? What’s the punishment for pooping on the ground?

The FIFA Laws of the Game are just a summary. “FIFA are stating that a player is only offside when the ball is played by a teammate” because they assume that one would use common sense.

May be these notes from my 1986 refereeing course will help:

The player should only be called for an offside infraction if he interferes with play, or interferes with an opponent, or gains an advantage for his team by being in that position.

What is “interfering with play”?

“Interfering with play” typically means playing or attempting to play the ball. The most common offside infraction is the situation where the ball is served to the off-ball attacker who is in an OSP, and this player immediately collects the ball and goes towards goal. To avoid delay, however, the foul is usually called as soon as the player in an OSP makes a step towards the ball, rather than waiting for him to play it. Some referees don’t even wait for the step, and call the foul immediately (even though the player technically may still be just in an OSP). While this may not be in full accord with the Laws, the referee has such broad authority to determine offside that there is no point in arguing. It is much smarter and more productive to instruct the players to watch how the referee interprets the rule, and to be sure to always stay onside if you get a strict constructionist.

What is “interfering with an opponent”?

“Interfering with an opponent” typically means getting in the way of an opponent, or otherwise distracting him so that he is less able to play the ball. A common example would be where an attacker in an OSP steps in the way of a defender, and interferes with the defender’s path towards the on-ball attacker. Another common example would be where an attacker in an OSP near the far post shouts loudly for the ball, distracting the keeper.

What is “gaining an advantage”?

This is the term which allows the referee to call an offside infraction when, for instance, an unconscious attacker in the box still gains an advantage for his team by getting in the way of the keeper. Arguably, he is also interfering with an opponent. However, this broader language makes it clear that he doesn’t actually have to be moving, or involved in the play, to be called for an offside infraction.

QUIZ:

If all Team A players are in Team B’s half and one player of Team B is in Team A’s half, would be it be an offside infraction if player of Team A accidentally made a back pass into his own half?

Helpful Tip: Use common sense
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

sscouser,

I still don’t see how the “interfering with play” issue is of any relevance to this goal at all.

There’s absolutely no doubt that Maradona is interfering with play, since he makes contact with the ball.

My question is about whether it makes a difference that opponent Hodge rather than teammate Valdano played the ball to Maradona. I’m inferring from the FIFA laws that it does.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing?
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

Daryl, I am sorry. I didn’t know that common sense is not always common.

Another example: Rules of School X state that “a student is ONLY late when he comes to class when classes are in session”. Let’s assume that the English class is for 3 hours and they take a 10 minute break after 1 and 1/2 hours. If a student comes to class during the break time is he/she late or not?

Now back to the offside law:

2. A player shall ONLY be declared off-side and penalized for being in an offside position, if, at the moment the ball touches, or is played by, one of his team-mates, he is, in the opinion of the referee
a. interfering with play, or with an opponent, or
b. seeking to gain an advantage by being in that position.

Don’t be fooled by the “ONLY”. The offside law is supposed to be read in its entirety not just one sentence. The “ONLY” is in reference to the Offside Trap.

The Offside Trap is a tactic in which the defenders wait until the last possible moment, then take a large step upfield in order to throw their opponents into an OSP. It must be carefully timed, so that the step forward is made before the ball is played. It also relies heavily upon having an alert AR who will be looking at the 2LD, and not looking upfield, when the ball is played.

So the law states that in this case (if the other team is using the offside trap) a player is ONLY offside when he receives a pass from his team-mate and NOT when a player who has the ball (the one who was supposed to make the pass to the player in an offside position)beats the offside trap by going past all defenders and scoring.

If you still don’t get it then you will never get it.

Btw, you got a zero in the quiz :D
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

Yes, zero “on” the quiz :D
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

sscouser,

Again, what does “interfering with play” have to do with the Maradona goal?

If you agree that Maradona can not be called for offside because it was Hodge that played the ball and not a teammate, then surely any discussion about interfering with play is null and void.

I’d argue that FIFA’s wording seems to say that the ball has to be played by a team-mate for a player to be penalized for offside. If not, wouldn’t the law be worded “at the moment the ball is touched, or is played” rather than “at the moment the ball touches, or is played by, one of his team-mates”?

Seems to me FIFA has gone out of its way to reference “team-mates” specifically, when they didn’t necessarily have to.
http://www.malawi.worldcupblog.org sscouser

I DON’T agree that “Maradona CANNOT be called for offside because it was Hodge that played the ball and not a teammate” because of what I stated earlier: “The FIFA Laws of the Game are just a summary.”

The offside law that you quoted only states the most common example. Just because it says “ONLY and PLAYED BY HIS ONE OF HIS TEAMMATES” doesn’t mean that there are not other instances. I think I already stated why they used “ONLY”. Let me restate: “….a player in an offside position can ONLY be called for an offside infraction if he receives a pass from his team-mate and NOT when a player who has the ball (the one who was supposed to make the pass to the player in an offside position)beats the offside trap by going past all defenders and scoring.” Note the “ONLY” and “NOT”

What is “interfering with play”?

“Interfering with play” TYPICALLY means playing or attempting to play the ball. The MOST COMMON offside infraction is the situation where the ball is served to the off-ball attacker who is in an OSP, and this player immediately collects the ball and goes towards goal.

Was Maradona in an offside position? Yes. Did he play the ball or attempt to play the ball? Yes. Was it therefore supposed to be an offside infraction? Absolutely.

During my refereeing course (for coaches) that I attended I had access to detailed Laws of The Game.
Again, the published Laws of the Game are just a summary. They just give the most common examples and don’t go into detail.

It’s not your fault. Yes, “FIFA has gone out of its way to reference ‘team-mates’ specifically, when they didn’t necessarily have to.”