Question Number: 21354

Law 18 - Common Sense 5/16/2009

RE: Rec Under 12

Danielle Higgins of Syracuse, NY USA asks...

Is the goalie allowed to take the ball down the field and score a goal? I have seen it happen three times. Only the second time did the ref call it and say you cannot.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A keeper is but one of 11 players with the special ability to use his hands most of the time inside his own penalty area. NOTHING in law prevents a keeper from wandering away from goal and participating outside his area including scoring a goal at the other end. Tactically whether this is wise might it be the coach who is freaking out!
I used to love the wonderful Mexican national keeper Jorge Campos initiating lighting counter attackers and participating in corners while on the international scene.
If a referee says it is not allowed please ensure the necessary people who are responsible for his training get a memo to FIX that incorrect assumption!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

All players on a team may score a goal, including the goalkeepers. They can score it with their feet, their heads, their chests - anything but their hands/arms.

The keeper can play anywhere on the field with her feet, but only the keeper is allowed to use her hands inside her own penalty area. This means the keeper can be anywhere on the field - she is not required to stay confined inside the penalty area.

Of course, keepers who leave the penalty area run the risk of having their team scored upon.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Fortunately 50% of the refs in your experience who saw something novel got it right. As my colleagues noted, there is nothing wrong with the goalkeeper leaving her normal playing area.

Your question brings up a point. Far too often a referee sees something that has not been encountered before and thinks, 'That's just wrong.' Then she invents some kind of foul/offense/misconduct to cover it. (Even worse when it is misconduct.) Referees should know the Laws so well that they can search their memory and quickly determine that nothing has been done incorrectly.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Why on earth would any referee forbid the keeper from dribbling the length of the field to score a goal? Of course the keeper may not use his hands once he leaves the penalty area and he has left his goal unattended, but there's nothing that prevents the keeper from doing anything any other player can do outside his own penalty area,