Question Number: 32477

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/28/2018

RE: – Adult

Nik of Moscow, Moscow Russia asks...

Hello,

Very standard situation. The goalkeeper toss the ball into the air to kick it by his foot. The ball left penalty area in the air before foot kick was made.

I want to ask about the moment when the ball was out the penalty area but before foot kick was made.

According to Law 12:
A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball (in his hands) while in the act of tossing it into the air. When a goalkeeper has gained possession of the ball with his hands, he cannot be challenged by an opponent.

My questions:

1) Should referee give the free kick for handling the ball by the goalkeeper outside penalty area (as he considered to be in control of the ball by his hands)?
2) Could opponent try to intercept the ball while it is flying outside penalty area before the moment when goalkeeper kicks it with his foot (since outside penalty area usual player have the same rights with the goalkeeper)?
3) If the answers are 'no' for question 1, and 'yes' for question 2, how far could goalkeeper throw this ball in this manner to kick it with his foot and to be 'in control of it' before it happens?

Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Nik
Once the goalkeeper removes his hand from the ball it is not possible to be called handling outside the penalty area. In addition the Laws tell us that the goalkeeper is in control of the ball
# while the ball is between his hands or between his hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
# while holding the ball in his outstretched open hand
# while in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air.
Add in the fact that a goalkeeper cannot be challenged while in control of the ball or in the act of releasing the ball at a punt / throw then an opponent may not try to kick or play the ball
So both Q 1 and 2 are NO answers so 3 depends on what the GK is doing with the ball. If the ball is thrown to the ground then it can be challenged for. If it is a punt the distance of his toss up will depend on the norm of a punt which is probably a yard or so
This is a video of a regular punt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWDMOFxEQuk

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Nik,
1. No - a keeper cannot be guilty of handling the ball outside the penalty area when they are not handling the ball.

2. The section of the law that you refer to, actually applies more to the question of a 'double touch' offence by the keeper than the scenario of a keeper punting the ball downfield. The more applicable section here is where it says that it is an offence if a player:

''prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it.''

Under this provision it is clearly not permissible for a player to intercept the ball when the keeper has thrown it up to punt it.

3. As the answer to 2 is 'no' this becomes a moot point. It doesn't matter how far the ball travels so much as whether it is in the air as part of the act of punting it.