Question Number: 16557

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/5/2007

RE: new ref Other

Sam of san ramon, ca usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16526

What if the goalkeeper is on the ground, the ball is spinning, the goalkeeper has a few fingers on the ball as he tries to pull the ball inwards towards his body. Can a player from the opposite team kick it out of his hand? [16526 refers]

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It sounds to me as though the goalkeeper had possession of the ball. It only takes as little as one fingertip on the ball to establish possession. BUT - and you knew there had to be a but, didn't you - but, the keeper must be using his finger or larger portion of his hand/arm to pin the ball against something. That might be the ground, or his other hand, or the goalpost, or his torso. Because you said the keeper was pulling the ball toward his body, I'm inclined to believe he had control. To make a ruling, one would have to see it.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If, in the opinion of the referee, the keeper is controlling the ball by pinning it to the ground, then the opponent may not kick it.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

No, a player may not kick the ball out of the keeper's hand. If the keeper is touching the ball with his hand or arm, he is considered by FIFA to be in control of the ball, and any player who attempts to play it will be called for an offense, mostly likely one punishable by a direct free kick. This one should be a no-brainer for most referees and is not called often enough. I have seen referees count goals where an attacker kicked it out of the hands of the keeper - and the referee's justification was it was a 50/50 ball! Such behavior begs for protection of goalkeepers because of their special permission to touch the ball with their hands - and there is no winning a contest between a hand and a foot being driven in a strong kick - thus the protection defined by FIFA as control of the ball for keepers. Think about it. How can you as the referee go wrong if you call it for the keeper in a close situation? You set up an expectation in the players' minds that you will protect all the players, including the goalkeeper, you serve notice to attackers that they do NOT get a free shot at the goalkeeper on your games, and you serve notice to the goalkeepers that you are in fact keeping a close eye on what they are doing (because of course, goalkeepers are not blameless creatures). And the younger or less skilled the players, the faster the whistle needs to blow in such situations, because these players have neither the skill nor the timing necessary to prevent serious injury.