Question Number: 30106

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/14/2016

RE: competitive Adult

tony of leeds, Yorkshire England asks...

Can a player take a goal kick to the goalkeeper then the goalkeeper take it back into his area and pick the ball up . I think this is a backpass or can you do this thanks

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This is why we don't like the term 'backpass'. What you describe is not legal - the goalkeeper cannot handle a ball that was deliberately kicked to him by a teammate. I can hear the complaints when it gets called: 'But ref, it didn't go backwards.' Doesn't matter - that's not what the Law says.

As for the keeper dribbling it into the penalty area before picking it up - that doesn't matter either. The ball was still deliberately kicked to him by a teammate. It doesn't matter if the keeper dribbles it around for a while first, inside or outside the PA. He's still restricted from handling the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tony
No that is not possible. When a player deliberately kicks the ball to his goalkeeper the GK may not touch the ball with his hands no matter should he receive it outside or inside the penalty area and when he dribbles the ball back into the area. Once he touches the ball with his hands from a deliberate kick from a team mate it is an IDFK from where that happens,
For those of us that were around before the so called backpass rule we will recall this as a ploy to get the ball into the GKs hands for a long punt. Some times the GK ran outside the penalty area, the goal kick was kicked to him as he ran outside the penalty and he touched it back inside so as to pick it up. Not possible now.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tony,
short answer NO!
You are correct, although I dislike the term 'passback' I get why the term is used as a short nickname to describe the offence.
The keeper is restricted from the use of his hands because the ball was deliberately kicked to him by a team mate. Nothing prevents the keeper from playing the ball once it gets outside the PA and or dribbling it back inside but the restriction remains as it reflects HOW he came to possess the ball.

It is possible in theory to kick the ball outside of the PA and have a team mate other than the keeper head or play the ball without deliberately kicking the ball thus possibly allowing the keeper to get his hands on the ball if he dribbles it back or the ball goes into the inside the PA area but it is risky as the opposition will likely be in the area and the chance a tetchy referee could see it as a circumvent depending on it was done.

Cheers

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

See Question: 30112