Question Number: 17908

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/13/2007

RE: Competitive Under 9

Marc Williamson of Newtown, PA USA asks...

What is the rule on a thown back to your own goalie. I was under the impression that you can throw to the goalie and the goalie CAN use their hands.

I instructed my player to do so and the referee called it a handball and gave a direct kick.

Can you tell me if that is correct or not. I thought throw-ins to your own goalie were still ok?

Please let me know

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You would be incorrect. Law 12 clearly states that the keeper may not legally handle the ball if it's thrown directly to him by a teammate. The ball has to touch someone else first. If the handling occurs OUTSIDE of the keeper's own penalty area it's a direct free kick. I hope that's what happened because any referee should know that any keeper handling violation INSIDE his own penalty area must ALWAYS< EVERYTIME result in an Indirect free kick for the opponents. If the handling occurred inside the penalty area and this referee gave a direct free kick he's doubly clueless. You cannot award DFK's to the attacking team inside the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I certainly hope that if the goalkeeper was inside the penalty area, the referee gave an indirect free kick.

The goalkeeper has been prohibited from handling a ball thrown directly to her for about a decade now. It was put into the Laws either as part of the 1997 Great Rewrite or the following year.