AUGUST 2015 YOU CALL IT Q&A

MrREF

There is a red throw in! The ball is throw in towards a red defender standing at the edge of his PA . The red defender is not paying attention and the ball bounces then rolls by him into his PA. An opposing player chases the loose ball, our slacker red defender tries to make up for his lack of due diligence to reacquire the ball and shields the ball from the attacker as the semi alert keeper rushes up but rather than kick the ball away chooses to use his hands to grab the ball as referee your call is? Your Match, Your Decision, Your Reputation


Answer
IF the defender shielding occurs without the ball being within playing distance an INDFK for impeding or even a potential holding foul and a PK possibility with DOGSO criteria to be evaluated. Remember though thy e ball cannot directly enter the goal off the throw in and a keeper is NOT guilty of DOGSO via his use of hands inside his area For the sake of this situation lets say ball was within playing distance and legally screened.

There is but one for sure answer to this question given the keeper is RECIEVING a directly throw in ball from a team mate, it will be an INDFK restart for the keeper's illegal use of hands on the ball from where he does so subject to the special circumstances within the goal area .

Those referees that try to form their own idea of what this portion of the law is, what it means and how it can be manipulated into a non call are in my opinion incorrect to do so. To say the throw in was not intended for the keeper but it still went directly to him anyway is a red herring of unimportance as we do not JUDGE intent we look at what occurs, what actions are involved, who is involved!

I caution those referees who think it is ok to overlook illegal handling especially when blatant and the opposition is unfairly affected. I point out the LOTG old Q&A had this to say about a defender taking a throw in , directs the ball towards their own goal and the goal keeper caught out of position tries to handle the ball but fails to prevent the ball from entering the goal. As referee your decision is?
Apply advantage, award the goal, the INDFK offence for illegally handling the ball is not as advantageous as awarding the goal which by way of the keeper providing a secondary touch the ball did not directly enter the goal. If they are awarding a goal for a mistake, awarding an INDFK if the ball was stopped by the hands seems in line with their thinking.

To some degree we have greater leeway in a deliberate kick TO the keeper than a throw in the goes directly to the keeper. WHY? Because the ball flight can be altered by say a high wind or deflect off a foot or knocked away in a challenge for the ball with an opponent and the ball might go towards the keeper or the general direction of the goal itself but it was NOT a deliberate kick by the team mate ...TO... the keeper. Yet in a throw in where no one else or nothing else matters, only if the ball gets to the keeper directly the no hands restriction MUST apply.

If in fact there was a wind so powerful that a say a throw in from the touchline was rerouted and reversed itself and somehow wound up directly in the keepers hand inside his area and the referee decided seriously this does not require an indfk restart to say the infraction is trifling and allow play to continue maybe the best option. To say it is NOT an infraction is incorrect

Rick Portage Michigan United States
Law 12 clearly states an IDK is awarded for illegal touching by GK if touching the ball after directly receiving from a teammate, whether that was the intent or not. The "slacker" red defender not having touched the ball, it can not be picked up by the GK.
Brad Plymouth MI United States
As Referee McHugh frequently notes, "we can't judge intent". So this must be ruled as an illegal touch by the keeper from his teammate's ("deliberate") throw-in. While it appears the defender's actions were merely a shield rather than obstruction, the distinction may be moot since any obstruction would (presumably) be from a less-advantageous spot than the keeper's handling. IDFK for the offense from the spot where the keeper touched the ball (or from the 6 yard line, if this was touched inside the Goal Area). No cards issued.
Matt BRISTOW VA United States
Law 12 states an indirect kick is award if a keeper "touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate." Therefor, assuming the throw-in was taken correctly and the ball was within playing distance of the defender, an indirect free kick is awarded at the spot where the keeper touched the ball or on the edge of the goal box if the ball was touched within the goal box. If the ball was not within playing distance of the defender, a free kick would be awarded at the spot the foul occurred. Based on the limited information, I would award an indirect free kick for impeding the progress. But a DFK for holding might be plausible. Finally, if a free kick is awarded against the defender the referee would have to make a decision as to whether a goal scoring opportunity was denied. Insufficient information is given to make a definitive decision. However, given that the ball is headed in the direction of the goal with only the keeper to beat and in the penalty area, the deciding factor would be the attacker's likelihood of gaining control of the ball had the foul not occurred.
Dave Jones JOHNSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA United States
Ball cannot be picked up by goalkeeper from a throw in. IDFK for attacking team at the spot of the touch by the keeper. If the keeper touched the ball within the the GA, the IDFK would be on the line of the GA.
stewart Livermore CA USA
Restart with an IDFK for the attacking team. If the red defender was not within playing distance of the ball while shielding the attacker away from it, the location of the restart is where the defender illegally shielded the ball. If the defender was within playing distance of the ball, the restart location is where the GK handled the ball.
Robert Jayes Fort Worth Texas United States Referee Publish
Indirect free kick from the spot where the keeper picked it up. Makes no difference that it wasn't intended for him.
Sahid Mohamad Chicago Illinois United States
Ifk for the attacking team. the goalie can not use hands directly from a team mate throw in. This in accordance to law 15 throw in.
Jason Memphis TN USA Referee Publish
Law 12 states the keeper touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate. To me Directly means the thrower had to intentionally throw the ball towards the keeper. If is thrown at someone else and somehow gets to the keeper without being touched then to me it is not directly thrown to the keeper. The only possible foul is if the ball is away from the defender when he is shielding. In that case it is obstruction and it is a indirect kick. It he is near the ball then there is no foul. In my opinion at least.
Alan Siegel Rancho Palos Verdes CA USA
Blow the whistle for the GK's infringement of Law 12 (touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate). Award an IDFK to the opponents from the place where the GK used his hands (subject to the special conditions if this occurred inside the GA). The essence of this part of Law 12 is to prevent a GK from using his unique ability (use of the hands) to withhold the ball from an opponent's challenge. It makes no difference that the throw-in was intended for the defender. The only salient point is that it was thrown DIRECTLY from the teammate's hands to the GK; where DIRECTLY means that no player had an intervening touch on the ball before the GK used his hands. As long as the defender was legally shielding the ball (he was within playing distance and able to play the ball), there is no foul that can be called on the defender.
1234 Amy Lloyd Santa Cruz California U S of A
Indirect freekick against the red 'keeper at the place where/she grabbed the ball. Goalkeeper may handle ball within their own penalty area but not from a throwin from own teammates.
Al Strathroy ON Canada
Just for fun, let's look at the facts. Standing at edge of PA -- not an offence. Not paying attention -- not an offence. Ball bouncing and rolling -- not an offence. Lack of due diligence -- not an offence. Shielding -- not an offence. Being semi alert -- not an offence. Rushing up -- not an offence. Keeper not kicking ball -- not an offence. Keeper to choose to use his hands -- offence -- IFK.
Jeffrey Goldstein Monticello NY USA
Law 12 states that a keeper may not use their hands in the PA when received directly from a teammate. Unlike the foul where the ball must be deliberately kicked to be a foul this law makes no provision for intention. I would call an indirect foul on the keeper since the ball was received directly from a teammates throw in. I am assuming the shield was done legally.
Barry Walker Ottawa ON Canada
I would stop play and award an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the spot where the red goalkeeper picked up the ball. If the goalkeeper was inside the goal area (commonly known as the 6-yard box), the kick would be taken from a point on the edge of the goal area perpendicular to the spot where the goalkeeper picked up the ball. References: Law 12 - Fouls and misconduct - "An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences: ... touches the ball with his hand after receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate." Law 13: " an indirect free kick awarded inside the goal area must be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred"
Alain delisle Brentwood Bay BC Canada
Indirect free kick from where the keeper touched the ball with his hands.
Scott Hamilton Danville CA USA
If the ball was handled by the goalie in the PA then IFK from the spot of the foul per Law 12 - touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate. If the ball was outside the PA when handled then DFK from spot of the foul. Law 12 - handles the ball deliberately

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