Question Number: 31915

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/17/2017

RE: Amateur Adult

George of Parangarecutirimicuaro, CA Sacratomato asks...

Goalie gains possession in the penalty area with his feet from long kick by the opponent. Without ever having handled the ball, goalie chooses to dribble the ball outside the penalty area with the intent of passing to a his teammate. As the opponent runs on between both players, the goalie changes his mind, dribbles back into the penalty area and picks up the ball before attacker arrives. Since goalie hadn't controlled the ball with his hands before, is this play legal?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi George
Absolutely no infringement there. The goalkeeper has not used his hands, he can dribble the ball inside or outside the penalty area and then he can use his hands to pick the ball up provided it has not been deliberately kicked to him by a team mate.
It does happen at times where the goalkeeper goes slightly out of the area to play the ball with his foot back into the area to pick the ball up that was last played / touched by an opponent. Again no issue
The restriction only applies on deliberate kicks or throws by a team mate to the goalkeeper and then it makes no difference as to where the ball was received by the foot and the restriction applies of not touching the ball with the hands until it becomes legal to do so

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI George,
perfectly ok!
ah yes the old the keeper passing the ball with his feet to himself. I recall the long ago idea when the LOTG first instituted the (pass back myth ).
It took a while to cleanse the pallet of certain preconceptions. This one you are talking about was considered incorrectly to be a circumvent a way around the LOTG . Of course it was Not it was simply if the opposition gives the keeper enough space or refuses to challenge the keeper is free to do as he pleases BECAUSE the ball was NOT deliberately kicked to him by a team mate.

A Second myth that occurred it was incorrectly assumed if the defender did do this and it accidently contacted the opponent given the intent WAS to pass the ball to the keeper he could still not handle the ball even though it last touched the opponent.

Neither of these two things are true.
Keeper is free to roam and dribble the ball in or out of his PA if he receives that ball inside or outside his PA from an opponent or at teammate . I f the ball LAST Touches an opponent the keeper may use his hands inside his PA at any time as long as he has NOT used his hands earlier. The keeper CANNOT use his hands if the ball was last deliberately kicked to him by a team mate or he had previously released the ball after 6 seconds of possession.
Cheers