Question Number: 16797

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/19/2007

RE: Rec Under 15

Nancy Dixon of San Juan Capistrano, CA US asks...

A ball is kicked by the offense down field towards the goalie but outside the penalty area. The goalie plays the ball with their feet back in to the penalty area and then picks up the ball with their hands in order to punt it back up field. Is this ok or an indirect free kick to the offense? I have seen this viewed differently between AYSO and high school games.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Nancy,
there is a clause in law 12 that stipulates
LAW 12 Fouls and Misconduct
Indirect Free Kick
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper,
inside his own penalty area, commits the following offence:
quote
"? touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate"
end quote

A keeper is under NO restriction to receive a ball completely outside his penalty area and then proceed to dribble or play the ball back inside his own penalty area. In fact he can weave in and out, dribbling the ball over the penalty area boundry lines as often as he wishes!

There is this persistent myth that somehow when a keeper has deliberately kicked the ball to himself from outside his penalty area he was a player not a keeper and thus by sneakily passing the ball to himself with his deliberate kick he has circumvented the law in some mysterious fashion.
In fact it is complete hogwash!
A keeper is the keeper no matter where he is!
The use of his hands inside his own penalty area is his only advantage. So when he dribbles the ball back into his own area and then reaches down and grabs the ball with his hands he is merely exercising his special ability afforded him in law!

Ok now this is the part that seems to catch everyone out. EVEN though a keeper can use his hands inside his own penalty area and never be guilty of a deliberate handling foul with a DFK restart inside his area there are 4 indfk illegal handling restrictions which might apply.

The one that we might apply here I stated above in the quote!
When the keeper left his penalty area to go get the ball outside his penalty area how did that ball get there?
Was that ball deliberately kicked back towards him by a teammate intending for HIS keeper to play the ball?
If that is true then the quote applies and the keeper is restricted ONLY in the use of his hands not the use of his feet nor any other body part. The fact that he might first dribble the ball awhile then go back in and out of his penalty area is never an offence ONLY if he forgets how he came to get that original ball from the team mate's deliberate kick and reaches down to pick that ball up inside his own penalty area has he committed an indfk offence.

You stated it was the attacking team, in other words it was the opposition who in fact deliberately kicked the ball towards the keeper correct? In THIS case there is no INDFK handling restriction in place and the keeper can dribble the ball in and out of the penalty area for as long as he likes and when pressured or challenged by an opponent if the keeper has the ball inside his penalty area the keeper is free to reach down and pick the bal up with his hands and hold it for the 6 seconds as provided in law before releasing it back into play!

Remember any deliberate handling of the ball outside the penalty area is always a DFK be it the keeper or any player. Only the keeper can be guilty of illegal handling INSIDE his own area which restarts with ONLY an INDFK. There are four such restrictions I told you the one that you might be aware of and the one likely gotten wrong by some referees given your scenario. I list them all below for you to consider> Then perhaps you will know more then some referees seem too!
Indirect Free Kick
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:
? takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his
hands before releasing it from his possession
? touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released
from his possession and has not touched any other player
? touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked
to him by a team-mate
? touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If the ball was kicked by an opponent then the keeper is free to dribble the ball into the penalty area and pick it up. If it was deliberately kicked by a teammate or thrown in by a teammate he may not handle the ball once within his penalty area. Referees are instructed to consider why the ball was played if kicked by a teammate. If the ball was not deliberately kicked to the keeper or to an area where the keeper may collect it, then the keeper may handle it once inside his penalty area. This rule was instituted by FIFA to stop time wasting. Unfortunately, many referees are confused as to what constitutes a deliberate kick by a teammate and will punish the keeper for handling the ball when they should not.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee should only be concerned if the ball got to the keeper in one of the four ways he is prohibited from using his hands, In ALL other cases the goalkeeper is permitted to use his hands when the ball is inside his own penalty area.

Regards,