Question Number: 17516

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/26/2007

RE: Middle School Under 13

christine picataggio of Hampton Bays, New York United States asks...

If a penalty is called against the defense inside the "box" - is it always a penalty shot?

Yesterday's game had the defense pass the ball back to their own goalie who then picked it up - I'm told this is not permitted. Our team was given an indirect kick - we weren't more than 4 feet from the goal line - this just doesn't seem right. I've seen this happen before, but penalty shots were given.

What is the right call?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The incident you describe is an indirect free kick offense. The ref got that right. If it happened inside the goal area - the smaller "box", then the kick should have been moved out to the 6 yard line. If it was in the penalty area but outside the goal area, the location of the kick is the location where the keeper handled the ball.

The fact that you had a previous ref call a PK is troubling. It might be expected in middle school games, which often fall under NFHS rules and referee certification, not USSF. And since most middle school games are played in the afternoon, you are stuck getting refs who are available at that time, who can leave work early or are retired. Maybe you won't get the best trained or best fit refs. That's the way it goes, you have to play the game with what you are given.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Christine,
For a penalty kick to be awarded the offence must be one of the ten penal fouls.

PENAL fouls are kick or attempt to kick, trip or attempt to trip, strike or the attempt strike, push, charge and jump any of these six are looked at in light of a careless, reckless or excessive nature. The PENAL fouls of hold, tackle, spit and handles the ball deliberately are judged simply in light of if they occur.

Penal fouls are direct free kick fouls (DFK)t hat automatically must be upgraded into a PK (penalty kick) if that offence occurs by a team member inside a team's own penalty area against an opponent. The penalty area is the 18 yard area which also includes the 6 yard goal area within its borders.

If you saw a PK awarded for the offence you describe it would be a misapplication of law and the result of the game protested.

The word *pass* needs to be clarified as nothing in law prevents a pass to the keeper. A keeper HAS the right to use his hands inside his area and he can pick up a pass from a teammate if that pass is a headed ball or a chested ball as long as that ball was not deliberately kicked to him by a teammate. The keeper can even go outside his own area and dribble the ball back into his area and still pick the ball up as long as that initial ball was not deliberately kicked to him by a teammate. I also want to note that if the ball deflected off a team mate's foot or was the result of a miss hit the deliberate part is not applicable and the keeper is not restricted. That remains a referee opinion oft he circumstances, one can only hope they see it as the law requires

The offence you describe is a law 12 violation as one of the 4 things a keeper is restricted in the use of his hands. These are technical breeches of the law not penal!

The difference of the DFK foul of handles the ball deliberately and the offence of a keeper illegally handling a ball inside his own penalty area is based on the special use granted in law for a keeper to legally use his hands inside his own area is only suspended when any of the following 4 sets of criteria are in effect. Note the 3rd one as it is the one that applies to your situation

FIFA Quote law 12 Fouls & Misconduct
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:
(1)takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession
(2)touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
(3)touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
(4)touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate. End Quote

Most INDFK offences, the violation occurs from the point of the infraction (from where it occurs) however INDFKs have a special circumstance as noted in law 8 where if they occur against a defending team within their own 6 yard goal area that indfk can ONLY be taken 6 yards from goal never closer.

FIFA quote law 8 the Start and Restart of Play
Special Circumstances
An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents? goal area is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred. End quote

While I can commend your referee for realizing the offence was an INDFK restart that offence can NOT occur 4 feet from the goal line unless it was outside the goal area way off to the side of goal. That ball was required in law to be taken back 4 yards and 2 feet to the outer edge of the 6 yard goal area line that parallels the actual goal line. Again by failing to have the free kick taken from the correct spot it is again protestable as a misapplication of law.

Christine you now are fully apprised go get you referee certification and lets put a stop to these myths and wrong thinking.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Only fouls that would have otherwise resulted in a direct free kick would be PK's. The foul that you describe is an indirect free kick foul and thus the referee made the correct call.