Question Number: 16767

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/18/2007

RE: rec Under 14

soccer mom of Louisville, KY USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16704

Can you clarify. I have seen officials call this situation both ways. If it is legal for a keeper to pick up a ball that he himself dribbled into the penalty box, I would love to know where I can find that rule. I know that a keeper can not pick up a ball that was intentionally based back to him by the foot of a teammate. I would look at this situation as the keeper passing the ball to himself.

I know a teammate can head the ball back to his keeper, can he use any other parts of his body to legally do this?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Oh so close, you've almost got it all figured out.

You are correct, that the goalkeeper cannot handle a ball that is deliberately kicked to him by a teammate. Two key words there - teammate and kicked.

The goalkeeper is not his own teammate, he is himself. So if he receives a ball outside the PA, other than being kicked or thrown-in to him by a teammate, he may dribble it into the PA and handle it.

Kicked means just that - using the foot. Some referees will expand that a little, not allowing a "kick" with the ankle, but really if it's that close shouldn't we be giving the player the benefit of doubt and NOT call anything? Other body parts, which can legally be used to play the ball, are fine for getting a ball to the keeper. Knees, thigh, torso, butt, head - anything but the hands and arms. What the player cannot do is use his foot to flick the ball up, and then pass it to the keeper with his head or body. That is "trickery", specifically outlawed in Law 12, and a player attempting to do so should be cautioned.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

A keeper kicking the ball to himself is not something we should be concerned about. What we try to do is enforce the Law that says if a team mate deliberately kicks the ball to his keeper the keeper shouldn't use his hands.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The keeper may always pass the ball to himself. Why wouldn't he be able to? The reason for your confusion is that whether or not the keeper may dribble the ball into his own penalty area and then legally handle it totally depends on how the ball was played that the keeper went outside his penalty area to collect. If it was thrown by a teammate or deliberately kicked by a teammate, the keeper may not legally handle the ball just the same as if he had been inside his own penalty area the entire time. Any other way the ball was placed there and the keeper may collect it and dribble it back into his PA and then legally handle it. The simplest way to remember is: if the keeper could legally handle the ball while within his own penalty area then he may also legally handle the ball by collecting it outside the penalty area and dribbling it back into his penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The keeper may dribble the ball into the penalty area on his own, and then out of the area, and back in (repeatedly) as many times as he likes, and then provided the ball was not deliberately kicked to him by his teammate, he may freely pick the ball up inside the penalty area.