Question Number: 30163

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/1/2016

RE: Select Adult

Ahmed of Tampa, FL USA asks...

During a game between Chelsea and Norwich, Gary Cahill passed the ball back to his goalkeeper, Courtious. As he was passing it back to the keeper, it slightly deflected off the foot of the Norwich attacker. Courtious proceeded to stop the ball with his foot and then pick up the ball with his hands.

If in the opinion of the referee, Cahill was intentionally passing back the ball to his keeper, does Courtious' action constitute a violation of Law 12? Or does the fact that the ball touched an opposing player before he picked up the ball with his hand make it legal?

Law 12 doesn't seem to be very clear about that and when it comes to the offside rule, deflections off a defender doesn't make an attacker in an offside position not being able to be called offside. So does the same rule apply to this scenario?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ahmed ,
if an opponent manages a touch on the ball be it accidental or deliberate after a deliberate kick by the keeper's team mate to the keeper the handling restriction is lifted and he can pick the ball up.
Your concerns are not unfounded for the LOTG literal interpretation of the wording makes no reference to the ball directly going to the keeper except in the throw in. I recall a Scottish referee who got into a similar situation many years ago. He awarded the INDFK for a deliberate kick of the ball by a team mate to the keeper after the ball had bobbled over an opponent's outstretched leg on the way back to the keeper. Raised this same question and FIFA sorted it out that an opponent's touch makes the keeper's actions ok.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ahmed
The touch by an opponent changes the situation entirely. It is then no longer a deliberate kick by the defender so the restriction of the goalkeeper touching the ball with his hands is lifted.

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