Question Number: 19847

Law 15 - Throw In 8/30/2008

RE: competitive Adult

yukoko of arcadia, ca usa asks...

Can a player intensionally throw the ball into the field directly to their own keeper who picks up the ball wiyhin the 18 yard box? Is this a handball by the goalie.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Yukoko.
The short answer is
YES
a player can throw in the ball directly to the keeper inside his own penalty area but
NO
the keeper cannot use his hands to pick up that ball inside his own penalty area

If you read further you will see LAW 12 has 4 restrictions that prevent the NORMAL use of a keeper's hands within his own area. Your question is answered in the 4th bullet below. There is no handball foul as it mythesizes the idea of a DFK foul outside the area it is an illegal use of the hands inside the penalty area and ONLY an INDFK restart NEVER EVER a PK or DFK! If the deliberate handling occurs outside his penalty area it is a foul of handles the ball deliberately

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 offenses:
? 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

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Yukoko and thanks for the question. The goalkeeper may not legally handle a ball directly thrown to her by a teammate. We never use the term 'handball' on this site because it doesn't mean anything. What you should understand is that the goalkeeper, inside her own penalty area may never be guilty of the direct kick foul known as deliberately handling the ball. Furthermore, for ANY handling violation inside her own penalty area (such as handling a ball directly thrown to her by a teammate) an INDIRECT free kick is awarded to the opponents. This is important because this means that for any handling violation by the goalkeeper anywhere on the field there can NEVER,EVER be a penalty kick awarded. If she is outside her penalty area a direct free kick is awarded. If inside her penalty area and indirect kick but never a penalty kick.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19917