Question Number: 15616

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/26/2007

RE: REC Under 19

Gene Thigpen of Killen, al usa asks...

forward takes a shot toward the goal. the keeper traps the ball with his foot. when he looks down to pick it up, he realizes that the ball is outside the box, he proceed to roll the ball back aprox 18" to bring the ball inside the box. he then proceed to pick the ball up and then kicks it out of the box...was there an infraction, and if so, what is the penalty? thanks GRT

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

This play is legal. There is no violation of the laws of the game.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

And play continues because there is no infraction. This should have been made clear in your referee instruction class.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A keeper is not considered to be a teammate passing to himself nor is it a circumvention of the laws. It simply is a fact of ongoing play that a keeper has the use of his hands inside his own PA !
Dribbling the ball into or out of the PA is not an infraction by the keeper. He is allowed to use his feet the same as any player.

A keeper is ONLY restricted from the use of his hands inside his own penalty area and penalized with an indfk against if he
-takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession
-touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
-touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
-touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate.
Cheers