Question Number: 25706

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/5/2011

RE: Competive Adult

Michael Shealy of Gilbert, SC USA asks...

Would you explain the so called pass back violation. When looking at the small LOTG it states An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area:
? touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him
by a team-mate.

But when looking at the USSF position papers it states:
The offense rests on three events occurring in the following sequence:
? The ball is kicked (played with the foot) by a teammate of the goalkeeper,
? This action is deemed to be deliberate rather than a deflection, and
? The goalkeeper handles the ball directly (no intervening touch of play of
the ball by anyone else)
When, in the opinion of the referee, these three conditions are met, the violation has
occurred. It is not necessary for the ball to be 'passed,' it is not necessary for the ball to go 'back,' and it is not necessary for the deliberate play by the teammate to be 'to' the goalkeeper.
In the incident clip, Toronto and Columbus are tied and the match has entered the
second minute of a total of two minutes of added time. The Columbus goalkeeper punts
the ball well past midfield. After a brief but vigorous competition for possession, a
Toronto player passes the ball apparently in the direction of his fullback but the ball
actually enters space where a Columbus attacker actively pressures for control and the
ball, chased by this attacker and defender, continues onward to the Toronto goalkeeper
who picks it up with the onrushing attacker only a few steps away.
The offense must be properly understood in the following terms:
? The ball was clearly kicked by a Toronto defender
? The ball was neither deflected nor accidentally misdirected -- that is, the
pass was deliberate
? It is irrelevant that the pass was arguably not to the goalkeeper
? The goalkeeper clearly handled the ball directly from the kick by his
teammate
? Instead of playing the ball in some other way, the goalkeeper chose to
handle it, thus removing the ball from active challenge by the Columbus
attacker
Referees must be alert to the possibility of even uncommon offenses such as this.
The requirements of the 'iron triangle' (played by the teammate's foot, deliberate action,
goalkeeper directly handling) were met and the violation should have been called.


So here is my question why does one source of information say that it has to be a deliberate pass back to the keeper when the other source states that it just has to be a deliberate kick.
Thanks for your input.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Michael
It is all about interpretation. USSF has advised its referees on how it should be interpreted as per this position paper.
However I am at odds with the one element that paper which says that it is irrelevant that the ball is not meant for the goalkeeper. The Laws state as you have quoted it is an IDFK when the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate.
That includes deliberately kicking it to a place where the goalkeeper can touch the ball with his hands. Now if the ball was kicked to a team mate and through circumstances the ball makes it way into the penalty area it is not an offence in Europe for the goalkeeper to touch the ball with his hands and play should continue. Not so in the US and that is the way it has to be.
I don't believe the referee gave the free kick here which I believe is the correct decision. I would not have either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOHNAY6K2k

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The LOTG do not say it 'has to be a deliberate pass back to the keeper'. The LOTG do not use either 'pass' or 'back'. In your first paragraph you accurately state what the LOTG actually say.

USSF in it's direction to US referees explain their interpretation by saying the word deliberately modifies 'kicked' not 'to the goalkeeper.' So, the ball can be kicked deliberately by a teammate to any place the keeper may legally handle the ball and if the keeper does handle it, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opponents.

You should also note that the USSF instructs referees to not punish the keeper for handling balls that were, in the opinion of the referee, deflected or misdirected.

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

See Question: 25996