Question Number: 16294

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/13/2007

RE: senior mens' Adult

phil of hamilton, ontario canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16259

A free kick is taken by the attacking team that sails into the penalty area, the goalkeeper catches the ball in the air,his momentum takes him out of the penalty area,where he lands with his feet,but the ball is still in his hands inside the penalty area,would a penalty shot be awarded to the attacking team?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

It is all where the ball is. Since the ball is inside of the penalty area...everything is good and nothing needs to be called.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Phil the referee must remember that a goalkeeper can NEVER give up a penalty kick because he deliberately handled the ball within his own penalty area. Further, the referee judges offences involving deliberate handling of the ball by where the ball is not where the feet of the suspect player happen to be. Given those two things your question answers itself! You say the ball is in the penalty area therefore the keeper is within the Law if his hands are touching it.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Phil,
I can almost hear my colleague Ref Contarino groan when you mention a pk for a keeper ball handling issue! I confess I shake my head at its mention because as a coach I was forced to endure a referee's incorrect decision to award us a PK and this in a match that was being replayed from another protest of misapplication of the laws!
It is a MYTH!
A keeper can NEVER, EVER be guilty of a PK for illegal use of his hands on the BALL!

If he uses the hands to say punch an opponent totally different!

To award a penalty kick against a keeper for deliberate handling is a huge misapplication of the law and just cause for a protest and a replay by any legitimate standard you could apply.
ONLY the location of the ball with respect to the PK boundary lines is considered not the feet or hand placement of the keeper

There is this entertaining notion that if the keeper hands are touching the part of the ball that is in the field but part of the ball remains overhangs the boundary line this is a dfk from just outside the penalty area. This is **rubbish**the ENTIRE ball must be outside the area, then if the keeper deliberately uses his hands it is a DFK only.

If a keeper through momentum or in the process of releasing the ball carries the ball in his hands COMPLETELY outside the penalty area boundary lines he is technically guilty of handles the ball deliberately even if he does it accidentally or without intent. We do treat these situations as trivial at times as opposed to deliberately using the hands on the ball outside the boundary lines to break up attacking play where caution or send off criteria applies. Reason the nature of the release or slide makes the deliberate action a doubtful offence .

If the ball is completely carried out of the penalty area and is too flagrant or repetitive to ignore the DFK restart takes place just marginally off the boundary line so the ball is NOT in contact or overhangs the 5 inch width from where the ball exited the area.

The keeper does have handling restrictions INSIDE his Penalty Area but all 4 are INDFKs restarts only!
LAW 12 Fouls and Misconduct Indirect Free Kick

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
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Perish the thought! Penalty kick against a goalkeeper with the ball in his hands, which are inside the penalty area? Where is the problem? Don't create one that doesn't exist. If the ball is in the penalty area, then isn't the goalkeeper the only one allowed to handle it there? If the keeper were inside the area enclosed by the goal net, but not on the field, and he stops a ball with his hands that hasn't crossed the line - isn't that the same thing, different location? We wouldn't penalize him then, and can't in the situation you posed.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Yup, I'm groaning!! Phil, you are a REFEREE and it is your responsibility to know this cold. Never,ever can a keeper handling violation result in a penalty kick. Period. This is right up there with you can't score on yourself directly from any restart and the ball must leave the penalty area on any free kick coming out of the penalty area before it is in play. And, also, the ball WAS INSIDE THE PENALTY AREA in your question. How in God's name could this result in a penalty kick? I know I sound harsh but if your instructor's did not drill these things into your head at your initial referee course they did you a huge disservice and did not properly train you.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

No Penalty here. In fact, there is no foul here. So long as the ball is within the penalty area the goalkeeper may handle it. Also a penalty kick is awarded for the comission of any direct free kick offense by the defense inside their own penalty area. Seeing as how it is not a foul for the goalkeeper to handle the ball until he does so outside the penalty area, this could never EVER be a foul that results in a penalty. But again, nothing unlawful has happened in the play you described.