Question Number: 14793

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/4/2007

RE: competive Under 15

Luke Singer of land o lakes, florida usa asks...

Can a defender head a ball back to his keeper where by the keeper can use his hands to catch the ball?

If a ball is miss kicked by a defender can the keeper pick up the ball? This did occur in a game and the ref gave an indirect kick to the offense in the box.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Yes. Maybe. The ball has to be deliberately kicked with the foot. USSF cautions us to NOT whistle for a ball that has been inadvertantly kicked towards the keeper. Since the referee at your game awarded an IFK then the teammate must have deliberately kicked the ball to the keeper and the keeper subsequently handled it inside his own penalty area

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

In both cases yes. Laws are clear that a keeper cannot touch ball with hands if a player kicks the ball to keeper deliberatly. Miskicking is not deliberate and heading is not kicking.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Luke,
if we can agree that it is the referee's opinion if the ball is in fact delibererately kicked by a teammate to the keeper even if we disagree with that opinion that is the match condition we play by then we are on the same page.

Whether a referee has an understanding of what is a circumvention of the spirit of this piece of law the "PASS BACK" as it is routinely called is part of the LAW 12 restrictions on keeper's use of hands.

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate

Decision 3
Subject to the terms of Law 12 , a player may pass the ball to his own goalkeeper using his head or chest or knee, etc. If, however, in the opinion of the referee, a player uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play in order to circumvent the Law, the player is guilty of unsporting behaviour. He is cautioned, shown the yellow card and an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred. * (see page 3)

It is ok to PASS the ball back to the keeper, forward or sideways for that matter including the feet as long as the keeper realizes what body part sent the ball to him! If the teammate used his head or chest then the keeper is ok to use his hands to pick up the ball once that ball arrives inside the penalty area. If it was a pass to him via the deliberate kick by the teammate the keeper simply keeps his hands off the ball but kicks it away instead.

If the ball hits or deflects off the teammate's foot this is NOT a deliberate kick to the keeper then the keeper is not restricted from using his hands . One can only hope the referee sees the incident as accidental otherwise he could call an INDFK based on an opinion even if wrong as a fact concerning play it becomes uncontestable.
Cheers