Question Number: 15970

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/7/2007

RE: Club Under 15

Jake of sydney, nsw Australia asks...

Just wondering whether it would be a foul if the ball is on the ground and the keeper has one hand on top of it and a player is to kick it into the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I'd have to be there to see it for sure, but from what you write, it sounds like it would be a foul. When the goalkeeper has control of the ball, an opponent cannot attempt to play it. Control is defined as the keeper touching the ball with any part of his hand/arm, as little as one finger, and trapping it against something else. In the situation you present, the ball would have been trapped between the hand and the ground.

If the ref sees this as "attempting to kick" she will award a direct free kick; if she sees it as "preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball" the restart will be indirect. Happening way down inside the penalty area, whichever offense is chosen doesn't make much of a difference.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jake ,
recognizable contact between the arm of a keeper (includes the hand and as my colleague points out a single finger) and the ball is defined as controlled possession and as such the keeper cannot be challenged.

He has in fact aprox 6 seconds of freedoom before he is forced to relinquish hand control of the ball .

If an opponent tries to interrupt this 6 seconds to play the ball, it is at minimum an indfk for interupting the release or possibly a dfk offence like kicking or attempt to kick with possible caution or even a send off depending on how it is percieved by the referee.

There will be close decisions where ball, hand and foot will arrive all at once and ITOOTR will have to prevail. If the ball bobbles even slightly and there is no clear contact point linking arm to ball, the ball is free to be challanged.
Cheers

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