Question Number: 33418

Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play 6/6/2019

RE: Competitive Adult

Jak of Malindi, Kenya asks...

A goalkeeper in his own penalty area throws the ball into the opponent's goal and it goes in.Is it a goal or no goal and why?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jak,
Sigh I am getting to old for all these LOTG changes. . Me thinks they tinker too much at times. Well in a 11 aside normal match on a regulation pitch that would be quite the throw. Chances are NFL guys looking for a quarterback might show up as well. It is far more likely the punt out or a free kick could score than the throw but IF by some stretch of the imagination the ball did enter the opposing goal from a keeper's throw it would have counted until recently, now new LOTG state NO opponent can score, even an accidental score using the arm/hand. For whatever reason the LOTG NOW state its a GOAL KICK if a goal keeper throws it out of HIS PA into the opposing goal. . This is a tad confusing because if a player has a ball go into the goal or the keeper is outside his own PA and a ball goes into the opposing goal off a hand or arm be it on purpose or accidental it is a DFK to the opposition. Note offside exempt is the goal kick NOT the DFK,

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jak,
Under the current laws of the Game which are now in effect, this is not a goal. According to the new wording of law 10:

''If the goalkeeper throws the ball directly into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded.''

Up until June 1 this year, under the old Laws of the Game - or in a competition stated before June 1 and which is still ongoing, this would count (or would have counted) as a goal.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jak
This law changed on the 1st June.
A goal cannot be awarded when a goalkeeper throws the ball into the opponents goal. The restart is a goal kick.
Prior to this it was possible yet it had to be one mighty throw. As more games are now moving to small sided, recreational with smaller pitch sizes the lawmakers have decided to not allow such goals. That has been the position in Futsal and the normal game has now followed suit. I've seen it in Futsal yet never witnessed it in a full sized pitch game.