Question Number: 32776

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/4/2018

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello!

Defender passes the ball to his goalkeeper (back-pass). Goalkeeper kicks this ball. After this kick ball touches goalkeeper's hand.

I am thinking about this. In the penalty area it is offence (back-pass rule). But outside the penalty area not. (handling is not intetional).

Am I right? :-)

Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
we should only enforce deliberate breeches of the LOTG. I would ignore either touch as accidental or a miskick unless the keeper tried to pick the ball up after that touch or had used his hands to say make a save by swatting at the ball out from goal.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
Yes we only punish deliberate intentional handling if the ball which can also be applied to the deliberate kick to the goalkeeper.
If the ball rears up off a kick and hits the goalkeepers hand / arm we play on. However if the goalkeeper makes a play at the ball with his hand after the kick then we punish that with an IDFK

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Petr,
I think that perhaps because this portion of the law concentrates on the deliberateness of the kick to the keeper, it neglects to touch on the issue of the deliberateness of the keeper's use of the hands. Normally in the game, for any contact between ball and hand, it has to be deliberate before it is an offence. A referee applying the spirit of the general principle regarding handling to this scenario, would not see an offence. Having said that, if a referee did decide to penalise it I think you could not actually say it was a technical mistake.