This is a topic that I want to cover for goalkeepers that are just starting out. For some of you who’ve been doing this for a while it may seem overly simplistic. A lot of times though a lack of knowledge of the rules could put you in a tough spot. Particularly when you go for example from playing an indoor to a 7v7 game to a regular full field game. The rules of when a goalkeeper can pick up the ball will vary. There are also instances in which the rule contradicts itself. I want to make sure that I’m able to cover as many different instances that you could be forced to deal with throughout a game. So that when you’re in a game you don’t make a mistake and cost your team a goal scoring chance against yourselves.
There are multiple different scenarios that could take place, so I’m going to get to them without any further ado. This is one of those articles that doesn’t necessarily require a super long intro!
Situations When You Can Pick The Ball Up
These are the easy ones, logic ones that I’m going to cover. When in doubt you can reference this. Any time that you’re in the box and the ball was last touched by a player from the other team you don’t need to think about it twice. This is the easiest thing that you need to know. Even if the ball rebounds off of your teammate or an offensive player, any rebound is a ball that you can grab with your hands. I’m going to get into passes from teammates that you can pick up with your hands, in a bit here. Technically though passes from a teammate that you can’t pick with your hands are those made with the intention of passing the ball back to you. That means that any rebound is fair game. There’s never intention in rebounds.
Just as a quick recap, any ball that’s coming from an opposing player in any capacity is a ball that you’re going to be able to pick up. If the ball is coming from your teammates you’ll be able to pick it up if they didn’t have the intention to pass it back to you or if they passed it back with their head, shoulder, or thigh. Basically anything, but their feet. This rule though is kind of sketchy, and it is in fact where things get murky.
Type of Passes From Your Teammates That You Can Pick Up
I’ve said already that any pass back “with intention”, (your teammate wanted to pass the ball back to you) is fair game to catch if it comes off the head, the thigh, the shoulder, virtually any part of the body that isn’t the foot. Deflections off teammates that get back to you are ok. As are most of the errant clearances that they make. This is a big one because these are the ones that we typically have most doubts over.
Your teammate kicked the ball back to your area, but that’s not what he was trying to do. What I recommend in these situations particularly if the ball is coming in too hot is to just grab it. You’re going to put yourself at the mercy of the ref! The thing is, the worst case scenario is an indirect free kick, while the worst case scenario if you can’t control the ball is a goal or a penalty kick converted into a goal. You can do worse than an indirect free kick in my view. If you’re in doubt, and you feel confident to play the ball with your feet, go ahead and do just that!
A Lot Of Times You’re At The Mercy Of The Ref
Intention is something that has been mostly eliminated from football rules. Just a couple of years ago we had this in the rules for handballs. So the ref would have to judge a player’s intention to play the ball with his or her hand. Since that’s virtually impossible to do effectively the rule was changed to feature calls based on the position of the hand when it takes place. On offensive handballs they just call all of them. In this instance though in which a teammate passes the ball back to the goalkeeper there’s still this sense of intention involved. That’s why I’m saying that you’re at the mercy of the ref. If the ref thinks that a pass back to the goalkeeper was intentional then he should call an indirect free kick inside the box.
What should goalkeepers do then? As I just mentioned, when you’re faced with a play that could be on the fringe of an infraction, and you can play the ball with your feet, go ahead and do so. Clear the ball as far away as you can if you need to. It’s better to get called out over a difference of opinion and have a conversation with your coach and your teammates when the ball is out of harm’s way than facing an indirect free kick. Again though if you feel that the incoming ball is too dangerous, and you’re facing some pressure catch the ball! An indirect free kick is better than conceding a goal because you couldn’t control the ball.
Can You Pick The Ball Up As A Goalkeeper Off A Throw In?
This is going to be a no in regular 11v11 football. Make sure that you keep that one in mind. You can’t catch the ball off of a throw in when the throw in was taken by your own team. Different 7v7 and indoor fields are going to have their own rules when it comes to this particular play. If you’re playing at a new venue be sure to directly ask the ref what the rules are when it comes to goalkeepers. That way you can avoid any type of penalization coming your way.
Unique Rules That You Need To Be Aware Of
A field player can’t drag herself or himself on the ground to head the ball to the goalkeeper and have them pick up the ball up with their hands. That’s a foul. Another thing that you can’t do is have the goalkeeper kick the ball up to a defender and have the defender head it back to the goalkeeper and have them grab the ball. Off a throw in though if you have another player throw the ball in and a field player heads the ball back to the goalkeeper that’s legal. Don’t try any funny business in these plays, and you’re going to be fine.
When Can a Goalie Pick Up The Ball? – Conclusion
Now that you have a better idea of when you can pick up the ball with your hands as a goalkeeper you probably realize you need to be on top of what’s happening during the game. Most of the indirect free kicks that I see called on goalkeepers are not necessarily due to the fact that they don’t know the rules. Although I have to admit I was ignorant on the throw in one for a while! It never came up interestingly, until I became professional. In any case, most of the fouls called on these types of plays come down to a lack of concentration from goalkeepers. Make sure you know where you are on the field at all times, and what’s happening around you.
