Question Number: 28943

Law 11 - Offside 11/4/2014

RE: Competive Under 18

Harshit Arora of Delhi, Delhi India asks...

Hello sir ,I'm Harshit Arora from India and I want to ask a ques as I'm not clear of it .The situation is like 1 team is defending and they are in their own half while passing ,one of the defender passes the ball to their own keeper and the keeper picks the ball up with his hands and kicks towards another player.So is this not allowed like passing to our own keeper and to pick the ball up? Most of em says its a foul and if its a foul then what should be done to restart the game.....plz tell asap...thanks
Regards Harshit

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Harshit,

Thank you for your question. The Laws of the Game state that an indirect free kick is awarded if the goalkeeper handles the ball after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate.

So, if a defender passes it to the keeper and the keeper handles it, it's an indirect free kick to the opponents. That's why when you watch games on TV, if the ball is passed from the defence to the keeper he'll kick it out without picking it up.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Harshit
The Laws include a rule which does not allow the goalkeeper to pick up or to touch the ball with his hands when the ball has been deliberately kicked to him by a team mate. When that happens an indirect free kick is awarded from where the goalkeeper touched the ball with the hands inside the penalty area.
The reason this law was introduced was because teams were kicking the ball back to the goalkeeper constantly and preventing the opponents from challenging for the ball while it was in the goalkeepers hands. A sort of using up time legally. This rule now prevents that from happening as the goalkeeper has to kick the ball and use the feet in the same way as any other player when the ball has been deliberately kicked to him by a team mate. All other times he can pick it up and use his hands..