John William
Well-known Exeweb poster
Could have been in the past, in theory, but unlikely. It would depend on the refs deciding this was "deliberate handball" and seeking to gain an unfair advantage. Catching the ball outside the area is clearly deliberate !I'm sure Bitts got sent off for catching the ball outside of the box. Handling the ball outside of the box whilst clearing from your hands has never been a red card offence that I can recall.
Not in the current Laws of the Game.