Question Number: 35920

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/23/2025

RE: Comp.

Larry of Danville, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 35915

A follow up on your response to award an IDFK where a defender in the goal area chests a high ball, then plays it with his foot, then the GK picks it up. My question is, what if it was your opinion that the GK took the ball away from the defender, as opposed to the defender deliberately kicking the ball for the GK to pick up? Or what if the GK called off the defender, who was about to clear it, and then picked it up.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi, Larry.

That’s an intelligent question because while some referees might instinctively interpret the sequence as "ball—foot—keeper—penalty," the keeper’s reaction can simply be a response to an oncoming opponent and a genuine chance to save. We must remember two things: First, we aren’t looking for any excuse to manufacture a scoring chance. The pass-back rule was designed to prevent time wasting, not to penalize keepers for making saves. Second, when opponents lawfully pressure defenders into hurried decisions, we typically don’t reward those mistakes—defenders can be forced into errors, but they shouldn’t be faulted for defending.

Often in tight quarters, when a loose ball bounces into a chaotic dispute, the defender’s intent may not be to deliberately pass to his keeper, but the keeper might simply choose to intervene. No referee should play gotcha, but neither should the keeper be blissfully unaware his teammate has controlled the ball deliberately with his feet. It is a good, solid argument, if the keeper is yelling for the ball, while his defender is in the process of trying to deal with it off his chest and the keeper basically steals it at his feet an aware referee will probably -NOT- call for an INDFK. Recognizing the incident for what it is, the keeper is just trying to make a save. It's going to be a lot in how much time has elapsed The position of opponents relative to the ball or a scoring opportunity and just how aware the referee is of what's going on.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
Thanks for the follow up.
It is the use of the foot in deliberately kicking a ball to the goalkeeper that restricts the use of the hands by the goalkeeper.
A defender can head, chest, knee, shin the ball to the goalkeeper and there will not be any offence should the goalkeeper pick the ball up.
So in your example had the defender chested the ball only and the goalkeeper moved in immediately to pick the ball up there would be no offence.
There can be times when a defender in an attempt to clear the ball away with a kick and miss kicks it say up in the air. There is nothing in law to prevent a goalkeeper using hands to catch the ball.


in this video there are two situations where the referee calls the offence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7esEwniKXqQ

In the first one it is a clear attempt to kick the ball away and there was no offence that should have been called
On the second one it is a challenge for the ball and the defender’s action is to kick the ball away from the attacker. That is not an offence either.
In recent times IFAB has tried to limit the offence to only clear situations where the ball is picked up after a clear deliberate kick to the goalkeeper Where a goalkeeper mis kicks a clearance IFAB does not want this offence being called on follow up play.

Here are two examples of what is intended in the new Law
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3EErKzoH48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyDTlyb3ehc
It is obvious that they both are unsuccessful kicks rather than mis-control which is entirely different.