The way the rule is written, for defenders, intent does not matter in specific instances where a player makes his body unnaturally bigger while handling the ball.
The first bullet point in the Laws of the Game cited above does allow referees some leeway to judge intent and penalise a player for intentionally handling the ball (“deliberately”), but the second and third bullet points, regarding a player making their body bigger and scoring a goal, do not allow for inadvertent handballs.
In fact, the rule as written, specifically mentions that intent does not matter: the phrase “when a player has made their body unnaturally bigger” notes that players take calculated risks with certain movements, even if not done with the intention of handling the ball. The rule reads: “by having their hand/arm in such a[n unnatural] position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.”
Furthermore, in the final section, the rule adds the language “even if accidental” to clarify that any unnatural touch with the hand/arm, whether intentional or not, should be penalised.
So in summary, intent does not matter in judging handball offences, and should not factor into an official’s decision regarding a handball offence. The only time intent comes into play for a referee’s decision would be whether to send a player off for deliberately handling a ball to prevent a goal
This exception largely comes into play for a defensive player sliding to make a block. It is generally considered impossible to make a sliding movement without using an arm on the ground for support. Thus, the use of an arm for support while sliding is a “justifiable” action for that particular body movement, and therefore a ball which strikes a support arm would not be considered an “unnatural” position even if extended from the body.
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