Premier League: Constant change in handball rule frustrates Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne
Follow UsStory highlights
The Belgian feels the change in rules have left players on the pitch confused when decisions go against them.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is frustrated by the constant change in the handball rule in recent years. The Belgian feels the change in rules have left players on the pitch confused when decisions go against them.
Pep Guardiola and Co. were left fuming when Aymeric Laporte's first-half equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur was disallowed after the pitch-side monitor showed a Gabriel Jesus handball in the buildup. Manchester City went on to lose the match 2-0 against Spurs.
"I don't know the rules anymore, honestly. I thought if it was above the arm here it's not handball anymore with the law changes," City skipper De Bruyne told Sky Sports while pointing at his sleeve.
"What can we say, I've been playing professional football for about 12 years and the first nine years there was no rule changes and the last three years there's been a lot. I don't know why.
"Football is such a nice game. The guys who make the rules should be people in the game."
Defenders are finding it tough to adapt to the new rules of being guilty of unintentionally handling the ball, with referees deeming their arms to be in "unnatural positions" even when it is virtually impossible to avoid contact with the ball.
Earlier this month, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin urged FIFA to change the handball rule. He said the current interpretation has led to unfair decisions which had caused "growing frustration and discomfort" in the sport.