Question Number: 16837

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/22/2007

RE: 8 Under 15

Chuck of Big Rapids, MI USA asks...

While outside the penalty area a goalkeeper kicks the ball into the penalty area. He/she then picks it up with his/her hands. Legal? It hasn't been passed to him/her by a teammate to the letter of the law, but to the spirit of the law he/she has.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Why would you be looking to punish a keeper for this play? After all the keeper is a player like anyone else outside of the penalty area. Once in the penalty area, his powers as goalkeeper are in force and he can pick up the ball. So, if the keeper brings the ball into the PA from outside the PA by dribbling it, he's within the Law. He's still within the Law when he picks it up. The only thing that would change this scenario is if he ran outside the PA to secure a ball deliberately kicked to him by a teammate that he then dribbles into the PA to pick up. That's a stretch, but a possible IDFK infraction against the keeper. Otherwise, just watch them play.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

It is foul play to deliberately handle the ball [except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area]. Further it is foul play for a goalkeeper to use his hands or arms to play any ball that is deliberately kicked to him by a team mate or is comes directly to him from a team mate's throw-in. In the case you ask about you don't mention how the keeper came by the ball. That information makes your question impossible to answer.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Chuck,
The keeper has the special use of his hands inside his own penalty area subject to 4 stated considerations in law 12 that make it an indfk to illegally handle the ball INSIDE his own area.

I can assure you 100% it is NOT an infringment for a keeper to kick the ball to himself in ANY capacity!

Just because we treat the keeper as a player outside his area he does not qualify as two seperate teammates when he dribbles the ball inside or outside his area.

The key is when the keeper takes contol of the ball outside or inside his area we require the information of who last touched the ball and in what capacity did that ball come to be available to the keeper?

WE look at the keeper's use of control by the hands on the ball based on is he inside or outside his area? One is a DFK no matter what, the other is no call because the keeper has that right inside or WAS there any of the 4 restrictions in place for an INDFK that shelf that right temporarily?

Indirect Free Kick
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper,
inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:
? takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his
hands before releasing it from his possession
? touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released
from his possession and has not touched any other player
? touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked
to him by a team-mate
? touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Why do you say in the Spirit of the Law the ball has been passed to him by a teammate? It hasn't. The keeper is and always has been allowed to collect a ball outside his own penalty area and dribble it in and subsequently handle it in most circumstances. He has not "passed it to himself" as we keep hearing on this site. The Law is VERY clear on this. As long as he does not collect a ball deliberately kicked to him or thrown directly to him by a teammate he is free to subsequently handle the ball inside his own penalty area. We are seeing this question asked so often I think somehow this myth has been started. To be perfectly clear, the Spirit of the Law is not broken. In fact, it is in keeping with the Spirit to allow the keeper to handle a ball that he could legally handle if received inside his penalty area if instead he himself brings it inside the penalty area.