Question Number: 16370

Law 3 - Number of Players 8/20/2007

RE: Under 14

Tiger of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

Are goalies allowed to swap in the event of a penalty kick inside the box???

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Let's get that box off the field. It's pretty hard to have an effectual kick when you're inside a box. Sorry, just had to do it - we try to educate everyone to use the proper terms, penalty area and goal area.

A goalkeeper may be switched with a field player at any stoppage of play, provided the referee is notified first. As the foul that generated the penalty kick created a stoppage, the swap may be made.

In leagues that follow full FIFA rules, a substitute goalkeeper could also come off the bench to replace the current one, provided the maximum number of substitutes has not been reached.

In the US, many youth leagues have unlimited substitutions with reentry. In exchange for that liberal policy, they often restrict when a substitution can be made - typically on goal kicks, throw-ins, before kickoffs and for injuries. Most leagues with substitution restrictions do not allow subs at stoppages for fouls. However, if all you are doing is changing positions between the keeper and a field player, that is not a substitution. Very few league rules have thought to restrict this. You would have to check the league rules to be sure. (I don't know if any of this paragraph applies to AUS. I included it for the benefit of our world-wide readers.)

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

They may with the permission of the referee and provided it is a field player switching. If it is a sub, they must wait until the next legal substitution opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

This is a right under Law 3. If substitutes remain and the team wishes to substitute a goalkeeper it must be in accordance with the procedure defined by Law 3.

Regards,