TOUCH-MOVE RULE

I know that if I touch a piece I have to move it. I asked to an arbiter and he said to me: "So long as the hand has not left the piece on a new square, the latter can be placed on any accessible square." I transalted it from Italian language. Well, I think it's a rule and we must follow it but other people disasgree with it, saying that chess is a sport and this rule seems to be strict.Plus, I also know that  if a player touches one of the opponent's pieces then he or she must capture that piece if it can be captured. If none of the touched pieces can be moved or captured there is no penalty, but the rule still applies to the players own pieces.

WHAT DO YU THINK?