Question Number: 29886

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/4/2015

RE: Red Adult

Russ B of Beaumont, California United States asks...

At a recent Adult Game I had a player pass back to his own keeper using his body and Knees. (Which I allowed) After the game a player (and a fellow referee) told me that the rule had been changed and that from now on any ball passed back to the keeper anything below the waist was not allowed. I cant find this in the laws or new decisions. Can you help?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Russ,
AS of today the keeper is not permitted the use of his hands
• if he touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to
him by a team-mate
• if he touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a
throw-in taken by a team-mate

Perhaps he was referring to these instructions?
If you use a deliberate trick while the ball is in play to pass the ball to his own
goalkeeper with his head, chest, knee, etc. in order to circumvent the Law,
irrespective of whether the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands or
not. The offence is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent
both the letter and the spirit of Law 12 and play is restarted with an indirect
free kick!

Anything below the waist is a new one on me? I know of no such change
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russ
No recent change here and you were 100% correct not to award the IDFK as there was no offence.
So the foot still has to be used in a deliberate kick for the offence to be considered.
Thigh, hip, knee, shin are all acceptable ways of playing the ball to the goalkeeper that allows him to uses his hands to touch the ball.
Im not sure where this player / referee got his info and perhaps you can inform him that he is in fact wrong.
BTW the shin one is very difficult to call as it can look like part of the foot is used and it will look like a kick.