Question Number: 32393

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/22/2018

RE: Amateur College

James Maclachlan of Doncaster, Yorkshire United Kingdom asks...

I was watching a game on TV and the commentators cut to a retired referee to ask him a question about the rules following a controversial decision. He said that 'an opponent is not allowed to make contact with a Goalkeeper once both his feet leave the ground. If they do it's an instant foul'. Is this true?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi James
No this would not be true and it happens quite a lot on crosses etc. Clearly a referee will allow a genuine aerial challenge for the ball but will not allow charging in the air or jumping at the goalkeeper in the air also. The goalkeeper is no different from any other player with the exception that he can use his hands. In addition once the goalkeeper has caught the ball he cannot be challenged either on the ground or in the air.
Some say that goalkeepers are over protected in the modern game and that may be so. At one time a goalkeeper could be legally charged anywhere inside the penalty area. At that time it was a bit of a free for all with many GKs getting injured through heavy charges. Have a look at this.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9HbX9DYy7dc&t=1m34s
The game has CI e a long way since that situation.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi James,
There is nothing in the Laws saying that a goalkeeper may not be challenged when their feet have left the ground. However there are two main reasons in law why such challenges are often judged to be an offence. Firstly, the law says that a goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when they have the ball between the hands or when touching it with any part of the hands or arms. So assuming the keeper, while in the air, makes contact with the ball with the hands, an opponent may not challenge them at that point.

In addition, it is an offence to jump at an opponent in a careless or reckless manner (or using excessive force) and in many cases, such challenges are seen as, at a minimum, careless.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI James ,
simply rubbish by the retired referee, the LOTG currently state that ONLY if the keeper has ball possession he can not be challenged. There was a time when you could go up shoulder to shoulder with the keeper even inside the PA or goal area when he had the ball but the 6 second possession rule as well as the pass back concept effectively ended a keeper's time wasting tactics . The incidents like my colleague showed you in his video shows why charging and unethical conduct once a keeper has ball possession is no longer tolerated.

Look at these two keeper jumping challenges.
Both are VC,
both are red cards,
both deserve send offs,
both are PKs,
yet if a referee refuses to see the incident for what it is then it does not matter!

In the first incident an INDFK was awarded to Germany instead of the throw in to Argentina instead of the true restart which should have been a PK !

In the 2nd Germany gets a goal kick instead of the French being awarded the PK.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=world+cup+2014+german+keeper+punches+argentina+in+in+the+head&&view=detail&mid=8F17ECBE382E6AEB77D28F17ECBE382E6AEB77D2&&FORM=VRDGAR

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=german+soccer+keeper+schumacher++destroys+french+player+&&view=detail&mid=F4A6A2FFB19B921E8484F4A6A2FFB19B921E8484&&FORM=VRDGAR
Cheers

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

See Question: 32400