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| Tim Howard saving the ball (photo by Jarrett Campbell) |
The Soccer Back-Pass Rule
In 1992, FIFA introduced the back-pass rule in an attempt to speed up the game and reduce time wasting. It worked – and the rule is still active today.
According to the Laws of the Game, a goalkeeper cannot touch the ball with his hands after a teammate has deliberately kicked it to him. In this back-pass situation, the goalkeeper has two options: kick the ball to safety or don’t touch it at all. The back-pass rule also applies to throw-ins – a goalie can’t pick the ball up if a teammate throws it directly to him.
If a goalkeeper does handle the ball from a back-pass, the referee will blow his whistle and award an indirect free kick to the opposition. Worse still, your opponents will take the free kick from the spot where the goalkeeper handled the ball – even if it’s just inches from your goal!
When Can a Goalie Pick Up a Back-Pass?
There are some very important exceptions to the back-pass rule. If a player passes the ball back to his goalkeeper using his head, chest or knee, the goalie can pick up the ball. The goalie can also pick up the ball if a teammate passes it to him by accident. For example, a defender might slice or scuff his clearance, accidentally kicking the ball towards the goalkeeper. In this case, the goalie can pick up the ball.
Don’t Mess With the Ref!
Question: “Can a defender flick the ball up into the air and then use his head or chest to pass it back to the goalie?”
Answer: “Noooo!”
According to the Laws of the Game, the referee will award the opposition a free kick if a player “uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play to pass the ball to his own goalkeeper with his head, chest, knee, etc.” This is unsporting behaviour; if you try it, you will receive a caution from the ref.
A Note for Crafty Soccer Strikers
Pssst, strikers, come close. Here’s a little tip for crafty goal scorers. If a defender kicks the ball back to his goalkeeper, get ready to chase it down. Remember, the goalie can’t pick the ball up, so if you put him under pressure you might force him into a mistake.
If the goalkeeper panics or reacts slowly, he might scuff his kick or fail to reach the ball entirely. If you close him down quickly, you could find yourself with an easy goal-scoring opportunity.
The word that is the sticking point is "deliberately kicked" if goes like a shoot at his own goal the ref should not take away the goal keepers right to save a ball going into the net the law was brought into stop time wasting - not to stop a miss hit ball going into his own goal
ReplyDeleteWhat about if the goalkeeper receives the ball with his foot from his defender kicks it a bit further before handling it?
ReplyDeleteThe following statement is incorrect, "even if it’s just inches from your goal! "
ReplyDeleteFrom FIFA law 13:
• an indirect free kick awarded inside the goal area must be taken on the
goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the
infringement occurred
So in essence, the ball is moved back to the 6-yard line nearest to where the infringement occurred. Furthermore, a "wall" can be formed on the goal line between the goal posts even though they are not "10 yards" away.