Question Number: 24855

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 4/26/2011

RE: Competitive Under 13

Kristen of Pittsburgh, PA USA asks...

I am a goalie. My dad is telling me that I can't participate in a dropped ball restart unless it is in my penalty area. Is this true?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws of the game permit a goal keeper to do anything and go anywhere that a field player can. Of course, the keeper may not use her hands outside the penalty area.

Whether it is a good strategy for a keeper to participate in a contested dropped ball outside the penalty area is for coaches to decide. It may depend of the skill and speed of the keeper.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kristen
A goalkeeper is like any other player and there is no restriction on who or how many players that can participate in a dropped ball.
Whether it is a good idea or not is a different matter and personally I see little advantage in a goalkeeper particiapting in any contested dropped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Kristen. Is your dad also your coach? I hope he's not a referee because, unless your League has a modification of the LOTG, this is absolutely incorrect. There is no restriction on any particular player, or any number of players from either team at the taking of a dropped ball. Theoretically you could have all 22 bunched around the referee. For that matter, there is no requirement that ANY player participates at a dropped ball. The referee (and I have done this) may, if circumstances warrant, drop a ball with no player from either team near the ball.

This does NOT mean it would be smart to have the keeper leave her goal unattended to participate in a dropped ball ANYWHERE on the field. When I coached, I never allowed my keepers to participate in a dropped ball unless the referee was dropping the ball uncontested to my keeper. I wanted my keeper guarding the goal.