Question Number: 16976

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/29/2007

RE: Rec Under 11

Stephen Canfield of Wichita, KS USA asks...

Can the goalie dribble the ball out the the box, dribble it back in the box and pick it up?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Stephen,
no offence but man is this question asked a lot! I do hope referee instructions and league seminars where coaches and players and parents and referees get together to discuss the basics of the game can address this in a more informative basis than current instruction provides.

Law 12 has 4 illegal handling restrictions that ONLY a keeper can be found guilty of. Dribbling the ball in and out of his own area is NOT one of them. As you know the keeper has the special priviledge of the use of his hands on the ball within his area. Other than that he is JUST a player! A player can drible the ball in and out as well but because he cannot use his hands we can understand the DFK/ PK penal foul of *handles the ball deliberately* as applying.


Read the restrictions where an INDFK could occur (I stated them below) and you will understand it is how the keeper comes to be in control of that ball which COULD affect his special use of the hands (the bottom two points are most likely to apply to your stated question)

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.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

We sure are getting this question a lot!!! If the keeper could legally handle the ball inside his penalty area, then he is free to dribble outside his penalty area, dribble back inside, and then handle the ball. If the ball had been thrown in directly to him by a teammate or had the ball been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate then he would not have been allowed to pick it up with his hands inside his own penalty area. If he could not have done this before he left the penalty area, he could not do it after leaving and subsequently re-entering his penalty area. If he had initially received the ball in any other manner, then he would be free to dribble out of and back into his penalty area and then pick the ball up with his hands. At that point, he has six seconds before he has to give up control of the ball. Once he has, he may not handle the ball again before it touches another player.