Question Number: 16850

Law 11 - Offside 9/23/2007

RE: Rec Under 12

D Schiel of Kankakee, IL USA asks...

On one of our opposing teams, they have a player that plays goalie. He will sometimes take the ball from his goal and dribble it all the way down the field to try to score a goal. Is this a legal move? I know about the offsides rule, but we were told it didn't apply to the goalie. Is this true? If not, what is the limited area of the goalie? Thank you for help.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The goalkeeper, when out of his own penalty area, is like any other player on the field. He can dribble down the field and score if the other team can't stop him. As for offside, it will only apply if he was already further downfield in his opponents half than the second to last defender on the other team when he received the ball - in other words, very unlikely scenario for a GK. Inside his own penalty area, he has all the privileges and restrictions that go with being a goalkeeper.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Here a a few things for you to consider:

1. It is legal for the keeper to dribble the ball down the field and score, he is a player on his team and his movement on the field is not restricted by area. The only difference is when he leaves his penalty area he no longer has his goalkeeper privlages.

2. Goalkeepers can be guilty of offside, it doesn't make a difference, because again, he is a player on his team.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Well done to the keeper. Always fun to do that. Keeps the opponents honest. I once lost a goal that I should have saved and this made me rather angry. I carried the ball up to the center circle and just stood there waiting for the signal to restart. I took the ball and before I knew it the opposing keeper was right there, I dribbled around him right into his net, picked up the ball and ran it back to the center spot and dropped it. I felt a lot better. As I said, always fun to do that...

Regards,