Question Number: 22385

League Specific 10/28/2009

RE: Indoor - Rec Other

Marv of Bowmanville, Ontario Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22230

I read the response by Referee Voshol with great interest. Here in Ontario, Canada the discontinued portion of the LOTG that he references is still present in the Ontario Indoor Soccer Playing Laws!! I do not ever remember a time when it was legal to charge a keeper who had fair possession of the ball (but I do recall my grandfather describing this ancient tactic to me).

Can anyone provide any feedback on the following:

1. When did the tactic/practice of charging the keeper who was holding the ball cease to become utilized on the playing field?

2. What was the philosophy? Assuming that all of a,b,and c were required to permit 'charging', was this a method of encouraging the keeper to actually release the ball that existed prior to the implementation of the current '6 second rule'.

P.S. I have yet to see a player in any Indoor match charge a keeper who is holding the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I first certified using the new and improved Laws in early 1998. The instructor mentioned that if we thought reading the new ones was difficult, we should try the old legalese. I received an electronic copy of the 1996 Laws a few years back, which I keep safely stored for references such as this.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Marv
The IDFK for charging fairly when the ball was not present was removed from the Laws of the Game in the great rewrite of 1997/1998. In the season before it was an IDFK if a player charged the goalkeeper except when he
a. is holding the ball;
b. is obstructing an opponent;
c. has passed outside his goal−area.
If one goes back far enough in the Laws one finds that the goalkeeper was subject to all sorts of challenges and could be charged into the net with the ball. Indeed many suffered serious injury as a result of very heavy challenges. The Laws were constantly added to and amended to take account of new circumstances.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Fgoalkeeper.htm