Question Number: 30542

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/26/2016

RE: Just for fun Under 15

Sam Runia of Zuidhorn, Groningen The Netherlands asks...

When a goalkeeper has the ball in his hands, and he bounces the ball and catches it again, nothing's wrong. But when he just lays the ball on the field, he waits for 2 seconds and picks up the ball again with his hands, is it seen as a foul? Some say it is, but I wouldn't understand why bouncing the ball isn't a foul then.

Sam

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sam
The laws clearly state that bouncing the ball is still possession of the ball. However throwing the ball to the ground or placing the ball on the ground out of his grasp is release of possession and the goalkeeper is restricted in touching the ball with the hands again.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Sam, your one scenario seems implausible. You said, 'he just lays the ball on the field, he waits for 2 seconds and picks up the ball again with his hands', key word there being 'again'. If the keeper truly had the ball in his hands, put it on the ground, got down and laid on it, and then picked it up again, it would be an infraction. But I don't see any keeper ever having cause to do this.

More likely you were questioning what happens if the keeper makes a save on the ground, trapping the ball between his body and the ground, and then picks it up. This is entirely legal, as it's not a second possession by hand. The infraction we need to worry about there is when he takes too long to distribute it.