Question Number: 32216

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/5/2018

RE: Select Competative Adult

Jack of Lilburn, Georgia United States asks...

Last Saturday at my granddaughters, u14, Athena game, the opposing goalie was positioned at the corner of the goal area. The ball was knocked to her and rebounded off her foot to go off her to just outside the goal area, the goalie crosses the line takes the ball back into the goal area, steps back and across back into goal area and picks up the ball immediately. The linesman saw what happened and did nothing,

I coached for 15 years until 1991.In my day you could pass the ball back and the goalie could pick-up in goal area.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It depends on how the ball got propelled to the keeper in the first place. If it came from an opponent, then she's done nothing wrong.

Kicking the ball around for a while, either in the penalty area or outside of it, does nothing to change the fact that the ball wasn't kicked to her by a teammate.

Now if it did come from a teammate, her kicking the ball around for a while doesn't change that either!

I wasn't reffing back in 'your day', but I understand that some games became boring kicking events between a back and the keeper to use up the time. That's why the Laws were changed in the mid-90's.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jack
It all depends on how the ball got to the goalkeeper. If it was a deliberate kick by a team mate then the goalkeeper was not entitled at any time to touch the ball with her hands even if it bounced off her followed by a dribble, .
If however the ball was played by an opponent or by a team mate in a way that allowed the hands to be used such as a header, knee, unintentional kick that went astray back towards goal then the goalkeeper could use her hands even after a miscontrol and a dribble.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jack,
You don't say who 'knocked' the ball to the keeper, nor in what manner. If the ball was last touched by an opponent or propelled by a team mate with a body part other than the foot or if it was kicked by a team mate but not deliberately to the keeper, then there is no offence if the keeper picks the ball up.

It is only if the ball was deliberately kicked to the goalie by a team mate that the prohibition on using the hands applies.

If you stopped coaching in 1991 then you just missed the change to the law in this regard which came into effect in 1992.