The Backpass Rule

[Rob_the_Saint]

For those interested, here is a copy of the rules concerning goalkeepers...

 

Indirect Free Kick

An indirect free kick is awarded to the

opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his

own penalty area, commits any of the

following four offences:

 

takes more than six seconds while controlling

the ball with his hands before releasing it from

his possession.

 

touches the ball again with his hands after it

has been released from his possession and has

not touched any other player.

 

touches the ball with his hands after it has

been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate.

 

touches the ball with his hands after he has

received it directly from a throw-in taken by a

team-mate.

 

So it would appear the Ref was right, as the ball came off Howey somewhere in the knee area.

 

However, there's more...

 

Decisions of the International F.A. Board

 

Decision 3

Subject to the terms of Law 12, a player may

pass the ball to his own goalkeeper using

his head or chest or knee, etc. If, however,

in the opinion of the referee, a player uses a

deliberate trick while the ball is in play in

order to circumvent the Law, the player is

guilty of unsporting behaviour. He is

cautioned, shown the yellow card and an

indirect free kick is awarded to the oppos-ing

team from the place where the infringe-ment

occurred.

A player using a deliberate trick to

circumvent the Law while he is taking a free

kick, is cautioned for unsporting behaviour

and shown the yellow card. The free kick is

retaken.

In such circumstances, it is irrelevant

whether the goalkeeper subsequently

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.

 

GHA and Ryan Moran would of course be totally conversant with this rule, both being fully paid-up members of the goalkeepers union.

[GHA EFM]

Ryan Moran and myself could have told you that, RTS. Firstly, a goakeeper can pick up the ball if it is chested, headed or kneeeeed back to him by a teammate. Secondly, if a trick is used, it does not matter if the keeper picks up the ball or not, because the free kick is awared for unsporting behaviour.

 

In the case of City vs. Bedford, the ball was kneeeeeeed back to the keeper in a normal fashion, and thus no free kick was necessary.

 

1. What is not clear is the following: if a player attempts to pass the ball back to the keeper, but his pass is deflected off an opposition player, can the keeper pick it up? It occurred during the Carshalton postponed match, when the team had a match of their own. I was the linesman, and a defender attempted to pass the ball back to keeper Jeff Wood. The ball slightly deflected off Richard Goddard's boot before going through to Wood, who promptly picked the ball up. Referee Ian (Mr.) Greene awarded a free kick, and so I immediately flagged to tell him that the ball had taken a deflection. I remained neutral by telling him that the ball had taken a deflection off 'the Godfather,' but not recommending any course of action what-so-ever. On the one hand, Gods wasn't too pleased, but on the other, Peter Risley was on Jeff Wood's team, and so benefited from my course of action. And I would rather cross Gods than 'Hitman' Rizza.

 

2. What kind of trick? Getting on your hands and knees and heading a rolling ball back to the goalkeeper?