Question Number: 15129

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/6/2007

RE: Select Under 17

Greg Allen of Natick, MA USA asks...

Just for clarification because i am going to start refereeing soon, when the GK handles the ball outside the penalty area, it is the same as deliberate handling, so the correct restart is a DFK, right?
I just want the rules to be perfectly clear.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Yes, dfk restart. Just as any other player would have deliberatly handled the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The moment the goalkeeper's hands and arms cross outside the penalty area, they are treated the same as every other outfield player's hands and arms.

To be more clear... if the ball is touching any portion of the penalty area the keeper may handle it, if it is completly outside of the area the keeper may not handle it.

So yes, you are correct sir.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Greg,
The laws of the game are relatively straight forward but somehow we see them topsy turvy far too often.

Well done, a DFK (direct free kick) is spot on for a handles the ball deliberately by a keeper when the BALL is completely outside his own penalty area.

Just remember it is the location of the ball and NOT The keeper that determines where or if a DELIBERATE handling infraction occurs.

Once outside his own Penalty Area the keeper is but one of 11 team players and subject to the same discipline as all the rest including being cautioned for USB show a yellow card or sent off for DOGSO show a red card by deliberately handling the ball

A keeper can NEVER be quilty of a PK for a deliberate handling of the ball at worst an INDFK for failing to abide by the four restrictions as mentioned in law 12 where a keeper is punished for the use of hands on the ball INSIDE his own penalty area.

On the punt out during active play we generally cut the keeper a bit of slack if the ball is marginally or close to being outside the boundry lines on the release of the ball into play and warn if it looks ugly BUT if you were to punish this act of carrying the ball outside the PA boundry lines as it was too often or too obvious remember the spot of the infraction places the ball a hair outside the boundry line not yards or feet away where it might have been released!

The spot of the infraction is where the restart occurs and the ball must be spotted OUTSIDE the PA boundrylines not on or touching it!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Greg. I don't mean to pick at you but I hope you're a U17 player and not going to ref a U17 game right off the bat