Question Number: 33469

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/21/2019

RE: Rec, select and competitive High School

Mary Ramirez-de-Arellano of DAMASCUS, MD United States asks...

When, if ever, can a goal keeper throw the ball out beyond the penalty area and then immediately dribble it up field without it having first touched another player after his throw? (He has thrown it to himself.)

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mary,
Please refer to the answers we gave when you posed an almost identical question before. It was question # 33452 and the answers are the same. Whether the ball touches another player or not, a keeper is always free to dribble the ball upfield.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Mary,

The keeper can kick or throw the ball to himself at any time. He MIGHT be restricted from re-handling it if the ball was easily parried or it was a deliberate kick or throw in to him by a teammate

Remember the keeper can handle the ball during his or her six seconds of uncontested possession in the PA and upon release, be it a drop of the ball at the feet , or a roll/throw out or kick a they are free to pass the ball to themselves, they are only restricted from reusing the hand.

IF the keeper was to merely stop the ball, using their body or feet or even in a save using their hands and the ball deflected down in front of them , that is NOT YET a possession, (as long as the ball was not easily parried or was a deliberate kick or throw in to him by teammate) The keeper could continue to dribble that ball using their feet, and if they wished, could stoop down and pick that ball up if within their PA at a later time when pressured by an opponent.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mary
It is very simple. The goalkeeper outside the penalty area is like any other outfield player. How the ball gets there is of no concern to the referee. So the goalkeeper can throw / kick the ball beyond the penalty area to her self and continue as an outfield player in what ever manner she chooses.
If you watch Pro games most goalkeepers throw / pass the ball beyond the penalty area when they want to go long with a kick. They may dribble for a while outside the PA to gain field position particularly when attackers have dropped off to midfield, A punt has the *wrong* trajectory for an attacking team mate as it is allows a challenging defender an easier chance to win the aerial duel due to the dropping ball plus it is more difficult to head onwards as the ball momentum is downwards. It is also easier to pass the ball to a team mate off the ground rather than punting.