Question Number: 35165

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 10/17/2023

RE: Under 15

Tyler of Vancouver, BC Canada asks...

What would be the call if a keeper makes a save right in front of the goal line and he ends up outside the goal line with the ball still in their hands but then rol of the ball, but can that be applied for these goal or no goal decisions? Or is it just for determining fouls?
Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Tyler,
let's dissect this a bit as I am not exactly sure what you are referring to?
A keeper inside his own 18 yard penalty area can use their hands.
ONCE a keeper has their hands on the ball with possession NO OPPONENT can touch or challenge for ball possession.
So no one can bundle him over the goal line.
Yet that is not the what scores a goal, the keepers body is immaterial, it is ONLY the location of the ball itself that determines if a goal is scored.
Same for a ball in or out into touch .
The whole of the ball must 100% completely cross and thus be outside the 5 inch boundary lines to be out of play.
In the case of a goal that same decision is true, the ball not only must completely cross the goal line but it must occur between the posts and under the crossbar.

In cases where a keeper may dive and roll out of the Penalty area he is held to DFK handling restrictions IF the ball itself is OUTSIDE the PA. same as any other player.

However, it is composedly plausible for a keepers body to be outside the PA, physically in the FOP or beyond the goal line into touch and the ball in their hands is perfectly fine possession as long as the ball is deemed to be inside the FOP & inside the PA. Mind you if the keeper was to pull the ball back into the netted area completely PAST the goal line he just scored an own goal.

Foul restarts are determined by the location of the foul during active play. The foul must occur while the match is ongoing Due to recent LOTG changes we can now award free kicks for events that occur off the FOP as if they were performed, on the FOP!

If a keeper say was holding the ball at arms length keeping it live in the FOP while standing or lying outside the FOP and an opponent kicked him or pushed him that is a foul and a DFK out.

If a keeper say was holding the ball at arms length keeping it live in the FOP while standing outside the FOP and he decided to smack the attacker in the face with the ball that is a PK
in favour of the opposition and likely a dismissal show a red card for VC.

We understand that in the course of normal play, players and keepers, can occasionally wind up outside the boundaries of the FOP by momentum, accident, avoiding a collision even to exit to retrieve the ball at times. They are expected to return post haste! and are still deemed a player will all the responsibilities as such !
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Tyler,

Thanks for your question.

All that matters is the position of the ball. We're not worred about the position of the GK, we're not even worred about where his hands are on the ball - just the position of the ball.

Say you have the ball which is 5% above the PA line, and the other 95% on the rest of the field of play. The GK is wholly outside the PA, and handles the part of the ball outside the PA, no offence has been committed. The ball is either in the PA, or it's out - and here, it's in.

(Though good luck to you if you're ever faced with that situation!).

Fouls, on the other hand, are taken from where contact is on the player's body.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tyler
Thanks for the question.
Terminology use is important so as to describe what happened or to explain a particular situation. Writing a disciplinary report needs to have the correct terminology.
It is also vital to describe what each area is involved. The lines that mark these areas are part of that area.
In your question it is the location of the ball relative to the line that matters. So if the ball is inside the penalty area goalkeepers may use their hands. If the goalkeeper is in the net area behind the goal line yet the ball has not crossed the goal line it is play on which is irrespective of where their body is positioned. As you know a ball fully over the goal line is a goal or if outside the goal posts a goal kick or corner kick.

In the case of fouls it is the location of contact on the player relative to their position. So if a defender fouls an attacker who is located on the penalty area line the restart is a penalty kick.