Question Number: 21959

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/13/2009

RE: competive High School

brian price of Gobles, MI us asks...

What constitutes a pass back to the goalie?
Is any kick back that the goalie picks up considered a pass back to the goalie, not deflections.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

To be an offense under Law 12 in USSF, or Rule 12 in NFHS, the ball must be deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a teammate, and the keeper must then touch it with her hands. Kicked means with the foot, and to the goalkeeper means to a place where the keeper can reach it. If the kick from a teammate goes to a spot outside the penalty area and the keeper goes out there and dribbles it into the PA and then handles/picks it up, it is an IDFK offense from where the keeper grabs it.

Not all balls kicked to the keeper will be by teammates. The keeper can definitely handle balls kicked by opponents. The keeper can handle balls chested, headed, hit with the knee or thigh or even the shin from a teammate. A deflection or miskicked ball does not count as an offense.

Please be sure to observe carefully in these situations. If the kick isn't deliberate, isn't aimed at or near the keeper and there is no attempt by the defense to waste time or otherwise cheat, then there is probably no offense to call.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A *pass* is usually considered in context of a team-mate redirecting a controlled ball to go to another team-mate.
If it a *back* pass then the direction of the pass is usually towards ones own goal.
Nothing about this is illegal, immoral or wrong!

Obviously if a player redirects a controlled ball towards the opposing keeper it is likely a shot or an attempt to dribble by or an errant pass intended for a team -mate but intercepted.
The keeper can of course use their hands inside their own penalty area on any ball that comes their way from an opponent!

I really dislike the term *pass back* because it fosters MYTH, even if many correctly interpret it as meaning the law 12 INDFK infraction of a deliberate kick of the ball by a team mate to their keeper.

FIFA Quote
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 any of the following four offences:
? 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
end quote

In my opinion the incorrect use of the words *pass back* muddies the idea that OTHER types of passes are suspect when they are perfectly fine and there are no restrictions on the keeper regarding the use of his hands .

The ball can be passed deliberately by a team mate to his keeper using the player's head, chest, back butt, thigh, in fact any body part except the hands which are ALWAYS foul and a deliberate kick of using the feet or on a direct throw -in restart!

ANY deflection is not considered a deliberate kick thus a ball deflecting off a team-mate's foot is ok for the keeper to handle.

The direction of the pass is not important, back, side, forward or at angle have nothing to do with an infraction.

The only PASS orientated handling restriction on the keeper resulting in an indfk offence is if on a TEAM-MATE'S DELIBERATE KICK or a TEAM-MATE'S DIRECT THROW -IN of the ball he uses his hands on that ball inside his own penalty area!

Cheers

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

See Question: 33624