Question Number: 23084

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/10/2010

RE: 8 Under 15

micahel of lic, ny us asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23073

I am a referee and a coach. The goalie touches the ball with his hands outside the penalty area, it is a red card and DFK. I do not understand what you are looking for with attempts to different interpretations, such as, is there an defender or an attacher near the goal keeper, or is he three feet out of the penalty area. Where is the ball, no one asked.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Not every handling offence outside the penalty area is a red card or for that matter a caution. The goalkeeper is just another player and the referee has to decide if all the elements of assessing whether the deliberate handling of the ball denied an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity. The elements are referred to as the 4 Ds.
I can straight away give two examples of a direct free kick only
1. The ball is kicked forward and the goalkeeper comes to claim the ball catches it and then slides two yards outside the PA. This is a DFK only
2. Ball is deliberately kicked by a team mate to the goalkeeper who misjudges the bounce of the ball and he then grabs the ball outside the penalty area with no attacker close by. This is a DFK only.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are no automatic red cards for handling, whether by the goalkeeper or anyone else. Handling is only a red card if it denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Michael. As a coach, I expect you to think the keeper handling the ball is an automatic red card but as a referee, you should know better. Ref McHugh gives the International interpretation. You are a USSF referee and the only time a red card is issued for DOGSO handling, is if the ball would have directly scored but for the handling. That's why I asked where were the keeper's teammates? I guess I wasn't clear when I asked how far outside the penalty area was the keeper. I assumed everybody knew the keeper had the ball

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The ball was in the keeper's hands. The keeper's hands were outside of the penalty area, ergo the ball and the keeper were outside of the penalty area, and we have a deliberately handled ball, because outside of the penalty area, the keeper is just another player. This is a DFK offense, but whether or not it carries a card for misconduct depends entirely upon the situation.

It is only a red card if the deliberate handling has kept an attacking player from putting the ball into the net. It could be a caution, but it depends on the situation. It could be no card at all, and only a DFK.