Rules of the Game – Page 6 – Your Soccer Home

If you are the goalkeeper in your team you will already know that some of the rules in soccer are different for you than they are for the outfield players. Being able to pick up the ball is one of them. But when it comes to the rules around throw-in's you may be confused as to whether you can still use your hands in this situation. Can a soccer goalie pick up the ball from a throw-in? A goalkeeper can not pick up the ball with their hands when they have received the ball directly from a throw-in taken by a player on their own team. This is an offense according to the rules of the game. So, it turns out that not even the goalkeeper can use there hands to touch the ball in this situation. And this isn't the only situation either where this applies. If you are a goalkeeper, or just interested in soccer, it's worth taking the time to fully understand these rules. If you're also interested in finding out the 8 rules that every soccer goalie needs to know then click here to go to an article I recently wrote all about it. Using hands isn't always necessary There are a number of points in a game of soccer where it can be an advantage to make use of your team's goalkeeper as an extra player. Expecting a goalie to only be there to stop any shots on goal from the opposite team is underestimating the role they can play. One of the roles a goalkeeper can perform is to be an extra person to pass the ball to during the game. This is why knowing what a goalkeeper can and can't do from a direct pass, such as a throw-in, is so important. When the ball is thrown directly to the goalkeeper from a throw-in he or she will need to overcome their natural instinct to pick up the ball straight away. If they do forget and handle the ball then a free-kick will be awarded to the other team. This free kick will be taken from the spot where the goalkeeper first handled the ball unless the offense takes place within the 6-yard box. If this happens then the free-kick would be taken on the 6-yard line nearest to where the ball was handled. This would be an indirect free-kick rather than a direct free kick meaning the ball cannot go directly into the goal from the free-kick, it must be touched by another player first. To find out where and when a goalie can use there hands on the soccer field, then check out this guide I wrote. The goalkeeper can touch the ball with another part of their body It is worth pointing out that when the rules say a goalie can't handle the ball directly from a throw-in it doesn't mean that they can first touch the ball with another part of their body and then use their hands. The actual wording of the rules are - "An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area...touches the ball with the hands after... receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate"Laws of the Game This means that no matter how long they have the ball under their control they are unable to handle the ball until another player has touched it(and even then there are certain rules preventing them from handling the ball in specific situations. But we'll look at that soon). It can still be a good idea to throw the ball to the goalie Despite all this, it can still be a good, and sometimes the best option at a throw-in to throw the ball to your own goalkeeper. They are often unmarked at these times and are capable of delivering an accurate pass up the field to other members of the team. Any half-decent goalkeeper should be able to receive the ball with their feet and pass or kick the ball out to another player on their team without too much of a problem. Doing this is completely acceptable and within the rules of the game. Most of the time the goalie can use their hands and sometimes they can't When we think of the goalkeeper we often think of them as the one player on the field who can use their hands to stop or hold the ball. And although this is true, they are the only player who can touch the ball with their hands, there are some situations where even they can't. We've already looked at what they can't do when they receive a throw-in from a player on their own team, but what about if the goalkeeper receives a throw-in from a player on the oppositions team? In this situation, it is fine for the goalkeeper to pick up the ball. This in many ways is no different from responding to the ball coming towards their goal if an opposition player had sent the ball towards them in any other way. In this situation, the goalie is allowed to respond in which every way they feel is best. Including the use of their hands. So, what if the goalie is passed the ball from one of their own players while the ball is still in play? The answer to this depends on how the ball was passed. If the player uses their foot to kick the ball and deliberately pass to the goalie, then the goalkeeper cannot touch the ball with their hands. If the ball is passed to the goalie with another part of the body, such as the head or chest then it is fine for the goalkeeper to handle the ball. This is what is often referred to as the back pass rule. If you're wanting to know more about where and when a goalie can use their hands check out this other article I wrote - Where and When Can a Soccer Goalie Use Their Hands for even more information. The Back Pass rule The introduction of the back pass rule in 1997 was introduced with the aim of reducing time-wasting during games. Before this, it was common for the goalkeeper to simply pick up the ball every time it came to them. This sometimes led to slowing down the game and displaying less skill and providing less entertaining games to watch. The soccer World Cup directly preceding the introduction of this rule was widely considered to be slow, and uninteresting to watch. This was mainly because of the number of times the ball was passed back to the goalkeeper who would then pick it up, slowing down the game. The back-pass rule has also often been credited with playing a large part in encouraging goalkeepers to become more proficient in their footwork with the ball. Now some of the best goalies in the world are the ones who are considered to be the best with the ball at their feet. It is a significant advantage in modern soccer. It is also worth noting that there will be some times when the referee will need to use discretion when the ball may have been deflected before arriving at the goalkeeper. If this happens, the deflection is not considered a deliberate act and doesn't count as a pass. If you want more info on the back pass in soccer then check out this article I wrote that provides far more detail about this rule. Don't drop the ball and pick it up again The last instance where a goalkeeper cannot handle the ball is when they have had the ball under control in their hands and they have released it. At this point, the goalie is not permitted to handle the ball again until it has been in contact with, or touched, another player. Only then can the goalkeeper use their hands again. With all these examples it's important to point out that the goalie can only handle the ball inside their own penalty area. No matter how the ball arrives in the goalkeeper's possession, if they are outside of their penalty area, it is an offense for them to handle the ball. In some situations, this can even lead to the goalkeeper receiving a red card and been sent off. If you're looking to find out more about the rules of soccer check out this recent article I wrote - A Simple and Easy to Understand Guide to the Rules of Soccer *Also check out the next post - "Can a Defender Score in Soccer? 5 Defenders Who Did"*