Question Number: 15023

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/22/2007

RE: Competive

Tim Fauber of Rockville, md usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15012

Suppose the midfielder passes back to a defender who instead starts a run up the sideline, the keeper has to come out. The Keeper was going to clear but is being pressed so he dribbles into the area and picks it up. In this circumstance the ball was NOT deliberately kicked to the keeper but to a defender. do you still award a IDFK

The important phrase here being 'to him'. And if you award an IDFK shoud FIFA remove the words 'to him', since the IDFK would be awards if it is to him, or to a team mate, or to space. With the current wording a ref must make the detemination is the ball kicked 'to him' or not. So a kick to space is ultimately a judgement call for the ref, is it 'to' the keeper or not.

In the previous example it sounds like it was 'to him' but not all balls kicked to space will have the same determination. (IMHO)

Law 12
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits the .. following ...:
* touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked (to him) by a team-mate

I couple more comments.
The word 'deliberately' is there so a ball which carreens off a teammate e.g. a deflected shot can be handled by the keeper. This too becomes a judgement for the ref, was the kick by a team mate muffed or otherwise indeliberate, or was it deliberate.

The word kicked is there so headed balls or balls play with the chest or thigh can behandled by the keeper.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tim,
I think you have a good grasp of the situation. But as a USSF referee it is within your own ATR advice that such a deliberate kick to an area where the keeper can play it generally fits the criteria. Granted it is an opinion but consider why is the keeper the PLAYER in control of that ball? That said as an opinion the ball could just considered to be a ball played away from an opponent rather than a deliberate kick to the keeper? Still, as a keeper I would be very reluctant to use my hands on that type of ball!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This is the referees judgement. If the pass was not originally intended for the keeper, then the defender did not deliberatly kick the ball to the keeper so w/i the letter of the law, the keeper can handle the ball. Again, this is a judgement situation.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

We have answered this one in the past, we agreed it lays to the opinion of the match referee as to whether or not foul play is present.

The Law states if the ball is deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper he may not use his hands. So, if I'm the keeper in this situation I'll use my feet or anything but my hands. This prevents the referee from having an opinion.

Each weekend we watch the television and see professional sides and top level referees do EXACTLY that. It just makes life easier for all concerned. Where we have trouble is at the junior level with inexperienced goalkeepers and inexperienced referees. Keepers use their hands and referees form an opinion. The opinion is different in each match and no one, really, can figure it out.

We once said this: The ball is under the control of the left back and he calls out the name of the right back then hit the ball across the goal mouth to the right back! Fair. Then the keeper rushes forward and takes the ball out of the air. Fair or foul??? There-in lies the rub, the ball was deliberately kicked and TO the keeper! BUT, we know it was intended for the right back because everyone in the stadium heard the shout. WHAT NOW referee???

The prudent referee will allow things to continue AND have a quiet word with the keeper at the earliest possible moment about the nice ploy to get the ball into his hands. He'll mention that it worked ONCE and that's all of that... I see this as the same thing. One time and a wee chat with all concerned is going to nip future things like this in the bud.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I would add that a new note was added to Advice to Referees 12.20 in 2006. It says, "NOTE: (a) The goalkeeper is permitted to dribble into the penalty area and then pick up any ball played legally (not kicked deliberately to the goalkeeper or to a place where the goalkeeper can easily play it) by a teammate or played in any manner by an opponent. (b) This portion of the Law was written to help referees cope with timewasting tactics by teams, not to punish players who are playing within the Spirit of the Game." Sentence (b) is italicized, indicating that this is a point less well known or understood.