Question Number: 23875

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/4/2010

RE: competetive Under 14

suzie of los angeles, ca USA asks...

Can a player make a throw in back to his or her keeper and the keeper get it with the hands in the box?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A player can throw the ball to the goalkeeper. But if the goalkeeper handles the ball directly after the throw (without an intervening touch by another player), it will be an indirect free kick for the opponents.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Suzie
The goalkeeper may not touch the ball with her hands when it has been throw to her by a team mate from a throw in. That includes collecting the ball outside the penalty area and dribbling the ball back into the penalty area. The goalkeeper is penalised and the restart is an indirect free kick from where she touched the ball with her hands inside the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Suzie, a long time ago, maybe 20 years, this was standard practice but it ended up to be a lot of time wasting so FIFA forbade goalies handling the ball from a team mate's throw-in. Nowadays goalies can only handle the ball if it last touched an opponent or a teammate passed it to him that was NOT a kick.