Question Number: 14880

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/22/2007

RE: Rec - House Leaque Under 15

Colleen Houghton of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Canada asks...

My daughter had a cup game on Sunday and in the first five minutes of the game our goalie came out of the box and handled the ball on the ground with her hands. The goalie was given a red card and we played the rest of the game with 11 players and had to put in a new goalie. Your response please.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Colleen. I'd need a little more information. If the keeper came out of her penalty area, and deliberately handled the ball, and by doing so denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity to the opponents, she should have been sent off and shown the red card. Your team should have had to play with 10 not 11 the rest of the game, and the keeper would have to sit out the next game also. The keeper could not be sent off for merely handling the ball. She would have had to also deny a goal or goal scoring opportunity

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

A player is sent off he/she denies opposing team an obvious goal scoring opportunity be deliberatly handling the ball. DID IT DENY A GOAL OPPORTUNITY? IF yesm, referee made a GREAT call.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Collen,
totally confused by the fact you say a new goalie and 11 players? If your keeper was sent off it was NOT for deliberately handing the ball which is a DFK restart it was likely for #4 DOGSO misconduct (denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity) that foul had with it! The keeper when OUTSIDE his penalty area is but one of 11 players.
Note points 4 and 5 of the send off list
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following offences
4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player?s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick

That said, again you should be reduced to 10 players which includes a keeper. If you got to put in a substitute keeper and not play short the opposing team could launch a protest if they wished as it is contrary to law to not reduce !

Out of curiosity were the field boundries well marked?
Was there an attacker who was in pursuit of the ball to play it ahead of any other teammate of the keeper? I ask because a referee COULd possibly see the infraction as doubtful if the opposing team was not disadvantaged!
cheers