Question Number: 15191

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/16/2007

RE: Select High School

John Allen of Owensboro, Kentucky USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 12598

The situation with regard to a deliberate pass to the keeper from a teammate became more confusing when the keeper attempted a clearance kick and squibbed the ball off his foot. The keeper then proceeded to chase after the ball and picked the ball up with his hands in the penalty area. An indirect free kick was awarded to the other team at the poing where the keeper picked the ball up. The keeper was claiming that his kick was not a deliberate pass and thereby was allowed to pick up the miskick. Is the keeper or the referee correct in this situation?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The referee. He received the ball from a teammate that deliberately kicked the ball to him. Therefore, he may not handle the ball until it has touched ANOTHER player. That is to say, he cannot kick it and then pick it up.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Ref Contarino has a good answer above.

The referee was 100% correct. The player was only correct in saying that his poor kick wasn't a deliberate pass back, that is true. But what the player fails to realize is once the player released the ball from his hands, he did not have the right to pick it up again until it had touched a different player. In this case, that never happened and the Referee took the proper action by awarding the opponents with an Indirect free kick from the place where the infringment took place.

So, the keeper thought that he was being sanctioned for a different violation than he actually was.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Who kicked the ball? If I'm reading your question correctly, the keeper kicked the ball, and then because of his own botched kick, grabbed the ball in his hands again. Is that correct?

If so, we are not talking about the so-called "pass back". Instead we are probably talking about a second touch by the keeper. This assumes that prior to the poor kick, the keeper had handled the ball. The keeper can't touch the ball a second time with his hands until it has come into contact with another player.

Edit: After prompting by my colleagues, I now understand your question. They are correct in their answers. The keeper received the ball on a deliberate kick from his teammate. No matter what action he accomplishes or attempts following that, he is not allowed to handle the ball. There has to be some legal play of the ball by a teammate, or any play of the ball by an opponent, before the keeper is once again free to use his hands.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Just because the keeper showed good presence of mind, by kicking instead of using his hands in the first place, this does not change the fact he is not permitted to use his hands until the ball touches another player. The main reason for this change to the Laws of the Game was because too many teams wasted time by giving the ball to the keeper and he just stood there holding the ball. The other reason was more goals! In those days keepers used hands not their feet. They were, sometimes, rather clumsy ball handlers and because of this was expected there would be more goals.

There is no ejection seat for a keeper, he gets six seconds to use his hands unless he has already done so or gets the ball after being deliberately kicked by a colleague or directly from a colleague's throw. Kicking the ball badly is not a Law exception, it's a good chance for a goal.

This thought is important! You can't send the keeper off because he used his hands, inside his own penalty area, when the Law says he couldn't because he is excepted in that sending-off offence.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi john,
The keeper claiming that his miss-kick was not a deliberate pass is not the pass that is considered as an infringment is it now?
The criteria of touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate before his miss-kick still remains in effect IF the referee was of that opinion, because no other player has yet come into contact with the ball. True enough it is likely the keeper's intentions not to pick up that ball originally were well intended but a mistake does not undo the criteria of not being able to use his hands?!

I see one of my colleagues is assuming the keeper may have had the ball in his handled possession based on the odd wording of your question? The miss-kick was to himself and as it was accidental thinks it was ok to regrab the ball is as wrong as my first reason i gave you, a mistake does not allow the criteria of touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player to go away.

In either case an INDFK from the point of the illegal handling subject to the special circumstances of LAW 8 in the goal area. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

John: you'll note that the question was answered two ways. Perhaps all of us didn't read the question in the same manner.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 17058