Question Number: 16259

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/10/2007

RE: Adult

mark rozemdaal of wellington, new zealand asks...

Goal kicks

A field player passes the ball to the goal keeper, who is standing outside the penalty box, the keeper then contols the ball then dribbles the ball back into the penalty box. Can the keeper then oick the ball up with his hands

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

For this question, I am assuming the field player is a member of the goalkeeper's team, because if he isn't it doesn't matter - the keeper can pick it up once he's back in the penalty area. How did the field player pass it to the goalkeeper? With his head, his chest, his thigh, his knee or his shin? No worries. Goalkeeper can pick it up. Did the field player pass it with his foot, in a deliberate manner to the keeper(did he mean to send it to the keeper?) or to a place where the keeper can pick it up? Yes? Well, that's commonly called a "passback" or in the referee venacular, a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper or to a place where the goalkeeper can pick it up, which includes the scenario you pose. If so, and the referee judges it to be a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper, then the restart is an indirect free kick for the opposing team where the keeper picked it up (assuming it wasn't in the goal area, which moves the kick to the top of the goal area closest to where he picked it up). So, yes, the keeper can pick it up, but depending on how it got to him, nothing may happen or an indirect free kick may be awarded against him.

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Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Why a keeper would go outside his penalty area on a goal kick to receive a pass then dribble the ball back inside his penalty area is so tactically abysmal I can not fathom a reason to do so?
As the goal kick is a deliberate kick with the foot the keeper is *RESTRICTED* in the use of his hands.
As a player and as a coach I suggest not to do this ever!
Cheers

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