I received an email this morning from Fra Conway asking about an incident during the Portsmouth vs Liverpool game last night.
Crouch’s back pass to James. It appeared that David James deliberately handled the ball. As Kuyt was clean through and the keeper was the last man. Was it not a professional foul that prevented a clear goal scoring opportunity Should James not have been redcarded.
Its funny how things happen. Belive it or not we had a conversation about this last Saturday before my game. I recall reading the answer to this question a few years back but cant now locate where I read it! However my understanding is that it not a red card due to a couple of factors
Taken from the Laws of the game
Referees should consider the following circumstances when deciding whether to send off a player for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity
• the distance between the offence and the goal
• the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
• the direction of the play
• the location and number of defenders
• the offence which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring
opportunity may be an offence that incurs a direct free kick or an indirect free kick
If you consider that if the ball has been passed back it has come from a defending player not an attacking player who is in control. Also a key factor here is that the goal keeper may handle the ball. The offence is that he is not able to pick it up from a pass from his team mate.
Edit
Ok I thought at the time this was clear but let me re-word what was meant. The goalkeeper is an exception in that he is the only player that is allowed to handle the ball within the penalty area. The offence comes from the fact that he touches the ball with his hand following it being passed back by a team mate. So Howard Webb is correct.
You explanation makes no sense.
The law states that the goalkeeper is not allowed to handle (this includes touching) the ball when passed back to.
Peter Crouch passed it back and David james touched it with his hands so Dirk Kuyt could not get it, he did not pick the ball up.
Also your rules to consider when sending a player of…
• the distance between the offence and the goal – it was 12 yards out very close to the goal, most people do not miss from 12 yards out, especially with no goal keeper in the goal.
• the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball – Kuyt was behind the ball, the ball ran on towards the penalty spot, Kuyt could easily have carried his run on one he got up and James and all defenders where out of position
• the direction of the play – going towards the penalty spot, 12 yards out
• the location and number of defenders – everyone was 10-20 yards behind Kuyt
• the offence which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity may be an offence that incurs a direct free kick or an indirect free kick – James did so, so why no red, not even a yellow.
What do you make of this?
Just checked on the FIFA site:
Law 12: If the keeper “touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked back to him by a team-mate” then it’s an offence punishable by an indirect free kick.
Ok fair comment on the wording of the handle. Ive updated the post to reflect what I actualy meant.
Regards the denying a goal scoring opurtunity I think were going to have to disagree on that.
The LOG state that there are two incidences when DOGSO can be applied:
1- DOGSO Foul
2- DOGSO Handling
Neither occurred, i.e. the GK using his hands after the ball is deliberately played by a team mate is NOT a foul NOR handling; it is an IFK infraction. Pretty straightforward, really.
Everybody (including you JK) seems to be missing the obvious point. The Laws of the Game specifically exempt the goalkeeper from being sent off for DOGSO by handling inside the penalty area (outside would be a different matter).
Pg 36 of the LOTG 2008-09 on sending-off offences states: “denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)”
What about the sunderland V wolves game.
The Sunderland keeper saved a certain goal by using his hand from a back pass. Is this not a red card?
Ken
Not seen it yet, once MOTD2 has been on I will let you know my view
HAD THIS INCIDENT IN A MATCH YESTERDAY, NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE,. AN OUTFIELD PLAYER TOOK A GOAL KICK, THE KEEPER WAS OUTSIDE THE 18YARD AREA, THE KEEPER THEN PLAYED THE BALL BACK INTO THE AREA WITH HIS FEET, AND THEN PICKED THE BALL UP AND FLYKICKED IT . THE
OPPOSITION THOUGHT IT WAS A BACK PASS, I DIDNT THINK IT WAS , WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
Really good question. I cant see anything wrong with the practice from a Goal Kick point of view. However the only infringment I can spot is for the ball being played to the goal keeper and him picking it up.
A goalkeeper is not permitted to touch the ball with his hand inside his own
penalty area in the following circumstances:
• if he touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to
him by a team-mate
As Lee says, the law states that a player shall be sent off for “denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)” Since the part in brackets applies, the goalkeeper should not be sent off, even if he obviously denies a goal.
Regarding the goal kick scenario, unfortunately people apply the term “back pass” to the offence, suggesting the ball has to go backwards. The direction isn’t stated in the law, the offence is committed when he “touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked
to him by a team-mate” The goalkeeper should be penalised by awarding an IFK where he handled the ball.
If you felt they had tried to con you, then you could have cautioned the player, although it would probably be harsh in this case. However, a player should be cautioned if he “uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play to pass the ball to his own goalkeeper with his head, chest, knee etc. in order to circumvent the Law, irrespective of whether the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands or not. The offence is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent both the letter and the
spirit of Law 12 and play is restarted with an indirect free kick” This also applies in the case of free kicks etc. However, in this case the kick is retaken.