Question Number: 23847

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/28/2010

RE: Comp Under 18

Drew of Ocala, FL USA asks...

What is the ruling on a break away where the keeper comes out of the box and blocks the ball from being shot outside the box. Our keeper came out fell to his side sliding outstretched on the ground and took a shoot in the chest saving a goal but was carded and a free kick was given. Would the same rules not apply as if a slide tackle had been made by a field player

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Outside the penalty area, the keeper may do anything a field player could do.

The referee's angle of view (often very different from the sidelines) may have spotted that the ball did not just hit the chest, but also was handled by the keeper as he slid. That would explain a direct free kick and card.

If the ball only hit the keeper's chest and there was no other foul, however, play should not have been stopped.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Drew
If the ball hit the keeper's chest there is no offence and play should have continued. The GK is the same as any other outfield player outside his penalty area. I suspect though that in the opinion of the referee the GK used his arm as part of the block which is a penal offence. The restart is a direct free kick from where the offence took place. The use of the hand /arm here by the GK is definitely a cautionable offence and if the referee believed that the deliberate handling denied an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity he would be dismissed.

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