Question Number: 33398

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/28/2019

RE: Professional

David LICHTMAN of NEW ROCHELLE, NY United States asks...

A long ball is struck by a midfielder to an onside attacker who only has the keeper in front of him. The ball takes a high bounce and the keeper leaves his line to get it. Both players converge near the edge of the box where the keeper leaps high to grab the ball. The keeper is judged to have handled the ball outside the box, with feet and body inside, but hands grabbing the ball outside. Does the keeper get sent off?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi David
Without seeing it although based on the description on the balance of probability the goalkeeper may have denied a goal scoring opportunity which is a red card offence. It would have been highly likely that without the handling the attacker may have been able to gain possession of the ball in a position where there was an obvious opportunity to score.
In itself a goalkeeper handling the ball outside the penalty area is not always a card. I saw a goalkeeper getting sent off recently in a TV game where the GK caught the ball inside the area and his momentum took him slightly outside the penalty area. It was certainly deliberate handling punished by a direct free kick yet in my opinion the handling in itself did not deny a goal scoring opportunity as had the goalkeeper dropped the ball to prevent the handling there was no obvious opportunity for an attacker to score.
So each opportunities will be different and it us the opinion if the referee as to whether the conditions were met that denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity
Here are some examples
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=52YhAcSK8As

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI David,
deliberate handling by a keeper can only occur outside his PA. If he inadvertently misjudged his position, grabbing the ball COMPLETELY outside his PA, it is a DFK offence. The referee will decide if the action has denied an attacker a goal scoring opportunity. Based on your description it is certainly plausible a DOGSO has occurred given an onside attacker was there to contest for the ball, and no other defenders, proximity and direction were all 100% on lock down . Certainly not a momentum foul where the ball is grabbed legally but the forward momentum causes the keeper to slide or tumble outside the boundary lines. In these cases we might be able to award a DFK for the foul but not consider it a DOGSO given the foul IS the opportunity.
Cheers

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

See Question: 33399