Football’s law-making body is set to bring in what has been described as the biggest change to the handball law for 80 years by introducing a rule that accidental handballs can be penalised in certain circumstances.

The existing law states that only deliberate handballs should be penalised by referees but the International Football Association Board (Ifab) is likely to change it at its meeting in March in Aberdeen, so that if the impact of an accidental handball leads to a goal then that can be penalised too.

David Elleray, the technical director of Ifab, said the proposal for the new law would keep the word “deliberate” for most situations — including when a defender handles the ball in the penalty area — but that there