Question Number: 35901

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/30/2025

RE: Rec Adult

Mario Viteri of Katy, Tx USA asks...

If a defender passes the ball to the goalie who is outside the penalty box, then the goalie dribbles the ball inside the penalty box and then picks it up, is that legal?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mario
What you describe is not legal and it should be punished with an indirect free kick from where the goalkeeper picked the ball up.
It makes no difference to the offence where a goalkeeper receives the ball directly from a deliberate kick or a throw in from a team mate. The goalkeeper is restricted from touching the ball with a hand until it is played by an opponent or a team mate in a way that the ball can be handled that is a header, chest , knee etc not a kick.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mario,
If by that, you mean that the ball was deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team mate, then no, that is not legal.

Law 12 says that it is an offence, punishable by an indirect free kick, if a goalkeeper touches the ball with the hand/arm inside their own penalty area, after it has been deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate.

Once they are inside the penalty area, it doesn't matter where the keeper initially received the ball, or whether they have touched it with their feet beforehand, they still may not pick the ball up after it has been deliberately kicked to them by a team mate.