Question Number: 16741

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/17/2007

Rob of Dacula, GA USA asks...

This happened to me in a recent youth game I was officiating.. U14, competitive girls game, tied score with about 3 minutes left on the clock the ball is cleared out of the defending goal box, but retrieved by an attacker. The attacker dribbles to the corner flag and sets up a beautiful cross right in front of the goal. It is only the keeper and an attacker, who is in an onside position at the time of the cross. The attacker sets herself up right next to the keeper. The keeper jumps first and receives the ball in her arms. While the keeper is in the air the defender jumps to play the ball but the keeper receives possession and hits the ground. As the attacker comes down she bumps the keeper, who then drops the ball and it rolls into the goal.

They both then turn to look at me and stare like deer in the headlights. I confer with my AR, who was in proper position, and he says he didn't see deliberate contact from the attacker or any attempt to knock the ball out of the keeper's hand, nor did I. It was a momentum collision and nothing expressly against the rules that I could see, or my AR could see.

After conferring I ruled that the keeper had possession and only lost it because of the attacking player, and therefore it was not a goal. While it's not expresses in the LOTG, it's something our local club has enforced in the past, which is what I explained to the coach after the game. Just wondering if I made a proper/improper call, or if it's just one of those opinion calls that we all love so much.

Thanks! Rob.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Rob , once the keeper has ball posession in the hands the opposition cannot challenge. The contact while perhaps accidental if the actual cause of the ball being knocked away could be deemed as careless and a simple infk out solves the issue!

Decision 2
The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball, but does not include the circumstances where, in the opinion of the referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for example after he has made a save

An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the referee:
prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands;

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

If I got to the ball at the same instant as my opponent and our collision caused me to spit out the ball into my open goal I might think a little more work was needed at practice sessions. If I got to the ball first and then someone stripped the ball out of my hands I would be looking at the referee for assistance because once the ball is in my control I shouldn't be challenged. Been that way for a long time and for good reason; keepers do tend to break when opponents are allowed a free shot or two.

Either way the referee's decision goes, goal or no goal, I would he unable to believe him if it was a conference call to decide. This is one the referee must decide instantly and decide emphatically. If he gives me a free kick even after a lengthy conference call I'll take it but I'll mutter about his courage and wonder about next time. If he gives a goal after many seconds of did you's with his linesman he's going to hear about it and hear about it until he gets in his pocket. But that's just me, a goalkeeper and referee talking.

Regards.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Even if this was accidental, it seems clear to me that the attacker caused the keeper to lose possesson of the ball so I would disallow the goal and award an IFK to the keeper's team. I agree with Ref Fleischer that the referee should make this call quickly