Question Number: 19230

Law 3 - Number of Players 5/30/2008

RE: 2 Adult

Clifford Jones of Capetown, Cape South Africa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 19202

Does this therefore mean that even during normal play, as long as the ref is notified, a team can change a goalkeeper as many times as they can as long as the player changing him is in the field of play? Will this not cause confusion and disturb the game? Also what a shock - good for some of us - we are allowed to change a goalkeeper as many times as we can during a penalty shoot out? Please confirm.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It is allowed once at a stoppage and perhaps only if the referee has consented by being informed previous to that stoppage or an injury makes it necessary immediately but if you think it is a tactic to confuse or delay the referee has the right to apply a reasonable clause if you will, in that it must be expediently done and not disadvantage the opposing team by dragging out or delay the restart.

All time would be added of course and if those doing the exchange were to be less than fast in doing so a caution for delaying the restart is well within the discretion of the referee. I mean a referee might signal the restart or PK even before the hands were fully inside the gloves as there is no mention of gloves as part of the keeper attire. Plus do you really want a non keeper in goal?

If you thought by exchanging at the taking of kicks from the mark at each kick the league itself might take exception and discipline you anyways.

As a referee I could expect the keeper exchange while it was your team's turn shooting and be unwilling to extend it to the shooter and keeper then exchanging unless an injury was apparent or this was a first request. I would also warn if repeatedly done that it had better be very quickly done or face a caution for delay of the restart. I could consider any change of mind once you started to exchange then say no we don not want do as usb. It really is not wise to use this as a tactic it reeks of USB and is against the code of conduct that FIFA so diligently cries of FAIR PLAY.

What I will confirm expect repercussions from the league or the opposition if you do try this as away to mess up the game and a referee to be looking very closely at how quickly you do this and for any little mistakes that might not be in your favour once this has been done more than twice. Expect all time to be added a very cranky referee and little sympathy from those in attendance at such a spectacle. Remember this clause was to ensure if the keeper was hurt or sent off a player could replace him if substitutes were not available. At youth it provides opportunity for players to experiance a variety of positions but to overuse it as you seem to want to do is simply a very bad idea in my not so humble opinion!
Speaking as a coach there are moments when a switch could help settle your team as often the best players are multi talented and keepers often have similar talents as strikers but as they develop professionally you want keepers in keeper positions. To exploit a nervous opposing PK taker you might get away with this to switch then switch back after the shot but again the referee could be suspicious and look to do you no favours if he percieves this as tactical usb.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I would think that after the first couple of exchanges, my hearing would start to go bad and I might miss the next request for a keeper swap. And the outgoing keeper has to be properly equipped to become a field player - that might take him a moment or two on the sideline to accomplish, and maybe I won't have an immediate chance to verify his readiness.

See what I'm getting at here? When teams start messing with the Game, just because the Laws say they can, someone tends to get upset. You don't want to upset the referee. I can play just as many tricks as you can.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

It would be a big headache if a team kept changing the keeper over and over and over and over and over and over and over.... just reading that gets tiresome, imagining a team tactic of this is downright scary. Good and clever referees will figure out a way to stop this sort of abuse. Otherwise they would have to add so much time on to a half that it may never end.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

One way or another we would put an end to such foolishness during regular play. My tactic would be to simply tell the coach I was adding time. If during a tournament where no time adding is allowed I would go deaf. During kicks from the mark you are free to switch players with the keeper before evry shot if you really want to. This would be amazingly stupid as you would be putting less skilled keepers into position and you would surely be putting your team at a disadvantage. But... it would be up to you.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The keeper can be changed with a player as long as it is during a stoppage and the referee is notified. This is not considered a substitution.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yes, however it does not give the manager the right to waste time in a close match. The referee will add the time lost in this change and will probably want to discuss the relative merits of the manager's intellect should he consider him to be wasting time.

Regards,

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