Question Number: 20137

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 10/3/2008

RE: Rec Under 10

Michael Kilgore of Denver, CO USA asks...

Here's another question based on what I've ALMOST seen happen a couple of times:

Keeper goes down and makes a save just in front of the goal line. With the keeper in control, the attackers and defenders go jogging back toward the center line. Keeper stands up holding the ball.

Keeper doesn't feel comfortable about his kicking strength, so he carries the ball back a few steps so he can get a running start to punt the ball from the edge of the penalty area. While taking those steps back, he carries the ball completely over the goal line under the net.

Is this a trivial advantage, worthy of an informal warning to the keeper, because there was no attacker anywhere near the ball? Or is it simply a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Nothing trivial about the keeper carrying the ball completely over the goal line as that would be a goal for the other team. I don't quite see how this could happen in your scenario but if the keeper carries all of the ball over all of the goal line in accordance with Law 10, that's a goal for the opponents.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It is true if a keeper loses focus and on his own accord completely carries the ball back into his netted area crossing the goal line under the crossbar between the posts he just scored on himself and likely his teammates will not be amused.
If I was watching the keeper at age 7,8 or 9 walking backwards into his goal and could intervene I might simply yell, What are you doing? to save him from embarrassment. Could you see it as trifling? In a recreational kick around we might cut him some slack but in competitive play no, the coach and the keeper simply have to communicate such basic thoughts as part of the learning experience.
Cheers