Question Number: 27417

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/10/2013

RE: High School

Mike George of Denver, CO USA asks...

During a recent High School girls match, the keeper and one of her defenders were going for a ball on the ground. The keeper was on the ground and by rule had possession of the ball when her own defender kicked the ball out of her hands. The opposing team took the loose ball and scored a goal. Question is whether or not the keeper should have been awarded possession of the ball if it was kicked out of her hands by her own teammate.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
This simply reads as a coming together between two team mates and that is not a foul. This is poor play by the defender and the correct decision is to restart with a kick off.
Reasonably rare but it does happen. Other example include team mates running into each other when challenging for the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The general answer is no - - contact between keeper and teammate that causes the ball to come loose is not a reason to stop play.

Note: High school (NFHS) rules, however, are different than TLOG regarding play in a dangerous manner. Under TLOG, the referee does not call the foul 'play in a dangerous manner' (such as when one defender is challenging for the ball with a foot raised above the waist) when the one who is affected by the challenge is a teammate - - an effect upon an opponent is a required element. NFHS rules do not require an opponent to be affected. But, a keeper on the ground should not be considered play in a dangerous manner above u-littles.