Question Number: 28749

Law 18 - Common Sense 9/19/2014

RE: rec Under 14

john of san andreas, ca usa asks...

Once the keeper plays the ball with their feet from an opposing player, can they pick up the ball with their hands, as long as they are in the penalty area?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
You are correct. There is no restriction on the goalkeeper picking the ball up on a kick from an opponent. It makes no difference that the feet are used first. In fact many goalkeepers do this to take more time than the six seconds which begin when the ball is picked up into the hands and arms.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Sure. The keeper may dribble the ball and then pick it up in this situation.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi John,
the keeper is permitted the use of his hands within his own penalty area. THE ONLY restrictions he has, if the ball was deliberately kicked to him by a team mate or a second touch on a restart or after the 6 seconds of possession when he does use his hands.

In the case of a free ball collected during play last played by an opponent the keeper has no such restrictions and may use his hands within his area .

The keeper can dribble the ball with his feet in or out of his penalty area for as long as the opposition permits him to go unchallenged. If the opposition challenges the keeper for ball possession outside his penalty area (where he is not permitted the use of his hands) it is entirely possible for the keeper to dribble that ball BACK into his own penalty area and use his hands to stop any challenges for that 6 seconds of ball control granted to a keeper who uses his hands inside his penalty area.

Once a long time ago I was under the mistaken idea that the keeper was kicking the ball back to himself was a circumvention of the pass back law. I was as wrong then as I would be now . AS long as the keeper is not receiving the ball from a deliberate kick of a team mate he can go outside and bring the ball back inside his PA and legally use his hands.
Cheers

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

See Question: 28781