Question Number: 13805

Law 1- The Field 9/17/2006

RE: Adult

Rich of Sunbury, Ohio USA asks...

Our Friend Lehmann.
5th minute of today's Arsenal/Manchester United game.
Ball is knocked back, inches outside the outside the penalty area. Lehmann reaches the ball just before the attacker, pulls it back with his foot ONTO the penalty area line and picks it up.
Referee is 35 yds away, towards the center of the field, cannot see if the ball is on the line or not. Referee calls Lehmann for illegally handling and gives him a yellow.
Replay shows the ball on the line and the referee's position less than ideal to make this call. Forget the positioning of the official and his call in this particular case.
The question: If the ball is on the line, and lines are part of the areas of the field that they define, is it not legal for the keeper to pick the ball up? In this case - wasn't Lehmann's action legal?

40 yrs of doing this and you still see situations that make you wonder.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Yes, this is absolutely legal. If the ball is on the line of the penalty area it is inside the penalty area and may be handled by keeper. Why the caution and yellow card?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yup, you and I would have done it one way. Mr. Poll did it another and from a bad position. I wonder if Master Rooney raising his arm and refereeing the match had anything to do with the decision?

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This is legal. The line is considered part of the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A referee with integrity sees what he sees even if he sees it different. For what it is worth you are correct if the ball was in contact or overhanging the PA boundary line the keeper is permitted to use the hands. I could only award a DFK if I was SURE I saw the ball clearly outside the PA when it was handled by the keeper. I suspect my AR would be helping me out here. I think the same in awarding a goal I must be sure the whole of the ball is over the line before I award a goal. I might use the body language of the surrounding players as an indicator but not as the sole reason to make a call.
Slow motion video replay from a better angle may indeed show the call need not have been made. I would fervorently hope a referee of Mr Poll's stature would not be influenced by the antics of Mr Rooney.
Cheers