Question Number: 22463

Law 18 - Common Sense 11/7/2009

RE: Rec Adult

Mike of Knoxville, TN United States asks...

I know that when a goal kick is taken the ball must leave the penalty area prior to being played.

My question is if a keeper legally picks up a ball played into the penalty area can he/she play or pass the ball to a team mate inside the peanlty area or must they be outside the area. Is there a distance restriction or could the keeper drop the ball at the foot of a team mate standing next to them.

Thanks, Mike

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The requirement that the ball leave the penalty area prior to being played applies only to goal kicks, and free kicks to the defence within their own penalty area.

Anything else is general play - this includes when the keeper handles the ball - and there are no restrictions on location of playing the ball.

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Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

When the goalkeeper handles the ball, play is still going on. It is not a restart. So any rules applying to restarts (specifically Law 13 and Law 16) do not apply to the keeper distributing the ball.

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Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

During active play, anything goes. There are no restrictions on how the keeper passes or releases the ball.

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