Question Number: 16788

Law 4 - Players Equipment 9/19/2007

RE: professional Under 19

john graham of motherwell, north lanarkshire scotland asks...

are goalkeepers allowed or NOT allowed to roll their sleeves up? they have to decide on a short sleeve or long sleeve top before the game dont they????

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 4 requires goalkeepers to wear colours distinguishing them from the other players and the referees. That is all! I have heard this sleeves rolled up thing from Scotland before. You might want to write the SFA and seek George Cumming's opinion regarding this myth. As far as I'm concerned the keeper can have one sleeve rolled up and the other in his kit bag so long as the jersey is different than mine and the other players.

Regards,

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Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

It makes no difference according to the LOAF how the goalkeeper wears his shirt. It must be different from the other players and the referee, that's all.

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This does keep appearing in Scotland. I would guess a commentator decided it was against the rules for a keeper to roll up his sleeves and has propogated the myth.

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