Question Number: 15695

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/3/2007

RE: Competitive C1 Under 14

Elena of Minneapolis, MN US asks...

If the ball is kicked to the goalie, can she dribble it into the 18 yard box and then pick it up?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It depends on who kicks the ball to her. Law 12 says:

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper,
inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:
? 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

If the ball was kicked to her by a teammate, she cannot handle it no matter how much dribbling she does beforehand. If it was an opponent, she's free to pick it up once she gets inside the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

If she got it in any way but being deliberately kicked to her by a team mate she may handle it in her penalty area. This presupposes it wasn't a throw-in directly from her side or she had already released it from her hands and it hadn't touched another player.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Elena,

I would love to give you an answer - but you fail to tell me who deliberately kicked the ball to the goalkeeper... once I know that I can tell you if she may do that.