Question Number: 32376

Law 18 - Common Sense 4/15/2018

RE: Rec Competitive Adult

Peter of Philadelphia, PA USA asks...

In a 1v1 situation where the goalkeeper goes low and makes the save, and a collision ensues immediately after, can the goalkeeper be penalized on the play and a penalty kick awarded? In this particular incident the Collision involved the shooters legs and the goalkeepers chest. The goalkeeper did not lift or sweep a leg and trip the player.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
As described it does not read like a foul where a save is made and there is a coming together after the ball is played by the goalkeeper. Unless there is a careless, reckless element to the challenge or that there was subsequent follow up action after the save there is usually no foul.
In situations where the ball is not played, the goalkeepers body can commit a foul. It does not have to be arms or legs.
So once a goalkeeper comes out, challenges an opponent, fails to play / save the ball and makes contact on the opponent using say his hips, chest etc that is a foul and as the offence happened inside the penalty area it is a penalty kick. Once there us a genuine attempt to play the ball the denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity red card becomes a yellow card.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Although it is true the keepers job is to make saves he must do so without fouling the opponent. The keeper's job is risky as he if often throwing his body into the feet of oncoming attackers in a effort to use his hands on the ball. The reasoning is once a keeper can grasp that ball into his possession the opposition must immediately cease all effort to play that ball or risk at minimum an INDFK offence. Any keeper going into a tackle, upon any serious contact with only the player who FAILS to contact the ball has likely committed a foul. But if he slaps or pushes or kicks the ball away there maybe no foul at all just a collision while in the process of making the save!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Peter,
Even though the keeper got the ball, it is still possible that a foul occurred, which would lead to a penalty. The referee has to judge whether the keeper's actions were careless or reckless or even involved using excessive force. There could also be a possibility of a DOGSO offence, if the criteria are met.

On the other hand, if as you say, the keeper got the ball and if all that happened afterwards was an unfortunate collision between the two players then it is also possible that a referee might see this a simple 'coming together' and not judge it to be a foul at all.