Question Number: 14802

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/5/2007

RE: Pro Under 17

Christopher of Glendale, NY US asks...

If a players purposely passes the ball to his own goalkeeper and the goalkeep handles the ball, what penalty is given? I have heard the 6 yard line, but where is that?

Also, when aplayer purposely puts the ball out if play because a player of the opposite team is injured, is their a law that forces the other team to give them the ball back or is that just good sportsmanship?

Thank You!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If a keeper picks up the ball that is deliberately kicked to him by a teammate, the restart is an indirect free kick at the point where the he picked up the ball. However, no incoming free kicks may be taken inside the goal area - if that is where he touched it, the ball is moved out to the 6 yard line.

There is no Law that requires a team to return a throw-in when the ball was kicked out because of an injury.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If a player deliberatly kicks ball to keeper and keeper handles ball, IFK to opponents at spot of where keeper handled ball. If in goal area, kick is taken from point on top of goal area closest to where the infraction occurred.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Lets get a few things straight in our minds.

There is nothing wrong in passing the ball to our keeper at any stage and in any legal manner to our keeper. A keeper can always use his feet or other legal body part to play a passed ball remembering that there are two exceptions to WHEN the keeper is NOT permitted to use his hands within his own penalty area based on the fact that a teammate has deliberately passed him the ball!

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 or touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate.

When these criteria are in effect the keeper can kick the ball away with his own feet or use the needed body part head, chest etc to control the ball just not the use of his hands.

We must differentiate when the pass is made to the keeper by a teammate that does not involve a deliberate kick or a direct throw it is OK for the keeper to use his hands as he is allowed within his own area to do so. This would be a headed ball or a chested ball directed towards the keeper and pose no issues or cause for concern.

THis portion of law 12 is misnamed a PASS BACK but in truth the direction of the pass has no part in whether it was deliberately kicked or not to the keeper. If the keeper fails to recognize the restriction is in place then the indfk is awarded from where the keeper uses his hands to touch the ball inside the 18 yard penalty area.

If the spot of the infraction was close to goal inside the 6 yard goal area law 8 states
FIFA QUOTE
Special Circumstances
"An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents? goal area is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred."
end quote
This means 6 yards away from goal is the closest any indfk in favour of the ATTACKING TEAM could ever occur. As a side note the defenders are allowed to stand on the goal line inbetween the posts and under the crossbar whenever the indfk is closer than the ten yards to the goalline. This is the only time they can infringe upon the ten yard restriction!

There is no law that states one team must return the ball to their opponents. This act is one of an unwritten understanding that the spirit of the game and the concept of fair play are somehow ingrained as a natural order of business and if one team fails to honour this choice in an appropriate fashion the game can go south in a deep hurry! Cheers