Question Number: 23794

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/18/2010

RE: Competative Adult

Al Sinopoli of Covington, LA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23770

While reading over this, it brought to mind a play and a this passback foul as it relates to obvious goal scoring opportunities.

A defender within his own penalty area is under pressure from a pair of attackers who remain in onside positions. The defender seeing that he is about to get beat and will leave his keeper with a 2 v 1 break away, toe pokes (passes) the ball back to the keeper. The keeper seeing the imminent threat from the attackers less than 2 yards away dives across and scoops up the ball with his hands.

My question is that this is an intentional passback from a teammate that is collected by the keeper with his hands. In my view, it also denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity by the foul. Do you agree that a red card for DOGSO can be issued for this? Thus referees should consider the passback fouls in terms of tactical and/or DOGSO misconducts?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Of course it's a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper.

But no way is it denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The goalkeeper is specifically exempt from ***ANY*** DOGSO considerations while playing the ball with his hands inside the penalty area. The offense is 'denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area).' That's what IFAB wrote in the Laws many years ago, and they have not changed it since. Think of it as a loophole if you will, but that's the way it is.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Sinopoli
This is indeed a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper and he is not allowed to touch the ball with his hands in this case. It is an indirect free kick from where he touched the ball.
Also the lawmakers simply wanted to create the situation where GKs may not touch the ball with the hands inside the PA on a deliberate kick from a team mate and added in a caveat to the Laws that a GK cannot be guilty of misconduct within the penalty area by touching the ball with the hands in these situations. So in your case it is just a technical foul with an IDFK restart with not even a caution.
Move the GK outside the penalty area and he becomes just another player so the 4Ds in denying an obvious goal or scoring opportunity as they are referred to are considered as does any misconduct through deliberate handling of the ball.
Most definitely NOT inside the penalty area by a GK.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 23815