Question Number: 16577

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/7/2007

RE: Competitive Under 16

socrgoddess of Overland Park, KS USA asks...

A player passes the ball back to the goalkeeper who is in her six yard box. The goalkeeper, knowing she can't pick the ball up from a back pass, attempts to clear the ball with one touch. The ball hits a bump in the field before it reaches her and she ends up shanking the ball about 25 yards in the air. The ball comes down just inside the 18 yard line and she jumps above an opponent to catch the ball.

No other player has touched the ball from when the GK kicked it to her catching it.

Is this a foul based on the GK not being able to handle a back pass or is it allowed because she attempted to clear by kicking the ball away and she was allowed to go get it as she didn't intentionally pass it to herself?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The laws of the game state that a keeper cannot handle the ball if it has been deliberatly kicked to him by a teammate. The keeper must wait until an opponent touches ball or a teammate touches ball (that is not kicked deliberalty to him). I will go with a foul here. Interested to see colleagues response.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The goalkeeper has kicked the ball in to play and allowed it to be played by anyone who can get there. Granted he is the only one to play it and should not use his hands. Perhaps I would lean in the direction of "he isn't trying to waste time" and let things continue, perhaps not. I would have to see what was going on in the match and base my decision of those events. The school book solution is simply indirect to the keeper's opponents, BUT...

Regards,