handles the ball, i.e., carries, strikes or propels the ball
with his hand or arm; (this does not apply to the goalkeeper
within his own penalty-area);
shall be penalized by the award of a DFK to be taken by the
opposing team from the place where the offense occurred, unless
the offense is committed by a player in his opponents' goal-area,
in which case the free-kick shall be taken from any point within
the goal-area.
Should a player of the defending team intentionally commit one of
the above nine offenses within the penalty-area, he shall be
penalized by a PK.
A PK can be awarded irrespective of the position of the ball, if
in play, at the time an offense within the penalty-area is
committed.
A player committing any of the five following offenses:
- playing in a manner considered by the referee to be dangerous,
e.g. attempting to kick the ball while held by the goalkeeper;
- charging fairly, i.e. with the shoulder, when the ball is not
within playing distance of the players concerned and they are
definitely not tying to play it;
- when not playing the ball, intentionally obstructing an
opponent, i.e. running between the opponent and the ball, or
interposing the body so as to form an obstacle to an opponent;
- charging the goalkeeper except when he
- is holding the ball;
- is obstructing an opponent;
- has passed outside his goal-area.
- when playing as a goalkeeper and within his own penalty-area:
- from the moment he takes control of the ball with his hands,
he takes more than 4 steps in any direction whilst holding,
bouncing or throwing the ball in the air and catching it again,
without releasing it into play, or
- having released tHe ball into play before, during or after
the 4 steps, he touches it again with his hands, before it has
been touched or played by a player of the opposing team either
inside or outside of the penalty area, or by a player of the same
team outside of the penalty-area, subject to the overriding
conditions of 5(c), or
- touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately
kicked to him by a team-mate, or
- indulges in tactics, which in the opinion of the referee, are
designed to hold up the game and thus waste time and so
give an unfair advantage to his own team,
shall be penalized by the award of an IFK to be taken by the
opposing side from the place where the infringement occurred,
subject to the overriding conditions imposed in Law 13.
A player shall be cautioned and shown the yellow card if:
- he enters or re-enters the field of play to join or rejoin
his team after the game has commenced, or leaves the field of
play during the progress of the game (except through accident)
without, in either case, first having received a signal from the
referee showing him that he may do so. If the referee stops the
game to administer the caution, the game shall be restarted by an
IFK taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where
the ball was when the referee stopped the game, subject to the
overriding conditions imposed in Law 13.
If, however, the offending player has committed a more serious
offense he shall be penalized according to that section of the
law he infringed.
(k) he persistently infringes the Laws of the Game;
(l) he shows, by word or action, dissent from any decision given
by the referee;
(m) he is guilty of ungentlemanly conduct.
For any of these last three offenses, in addition to the caution,
an IFK shall also be awarded to the opposing side from the place
where the offense occurred, subject to the overriding conditions
imposed in Law 13, unless a more serious infringement of the Laws
of the Game was committed.
A player shall be sent off the field of play and shown the red
card, if, in the opinion of the referee, he:
(n) is guilty of violent conduct;
(o) is guilty of serious foul play;
(p) uses foul or abusive language;
(q) is guilty of a second cautionable offense after having received a
caution.
If play is stopped by reason of a player being ordered from the
field for an offense without a separate breach of the Law having
been committed, the game shall be resumed by an IFK awarded to
the opposing side from the place where the infringement occurred,
subject to the overriding conditions imposed in Law 13.
(Decisions of the International F.A. Board)
(1) If the goalkeeper either intentionally strikes an opponent by
throwing the ball vigorously at him or pushes him with the ball
while holding it, the referee shall award a PK, if the offense
took place within the penalty-area.
(2) If a player deliberately turns his back to an opponent when
he is about to be tackled, he may be charged but not in a
dangerous manner.
(3) In case of body contact in the goal-area between an attacking
player and the opposing goal-keeper not in possession of the
ball, the referee, as sole judge of intention, shall stop the
game if, in his opinion, the action of the attacking player was
intentional, and award an IFK.
(4) If a player leans on the shoulders of another player of his
own team in order to head the ball, the referee shall stop the
game, caution the player for ungentlemanly conduct and award an
IFK to the opposing side.
(5) A player's obligation when joining or rejoining his team
after the start of the match to 'report to the referee' must be
interpreted as meaning 'to draw the attention of the referee from
the touchline. The signal from the referee shall be made by a
definite gesture which makes the player understand that he may
come into the field of play; it is not necessary for the referee
to wait until the game is stopped (this does not apply in respect
of an infringement of Law 4), but the referee is the sole judge
of the moment in which he gives his signal of acknowledgment.
(6) The letter and spirit of Law 12 do not oblige the referee to
stop a game to administer a caution. He may, if he chooses,
apply the advantage. If he does apply the advantage, he shall
caution the player when play stops.
(7) If a player covers up the ball without touching it in an
endeavor not to have it played by an opponent, he obstructs but
does not infringe Law 12 para. 3 because he is already in
possession of the ball and covers it for tactical reasons whilst
the ball remains within playing distance. In fact, he is
actually playing the ball and does not commit an infringement; in
this case, the player may be charged because he is in fact
playing the ball.
(8) If a player intentionally stretches his arms to obstruct an
opponent and steps from one side to the other, moving his arms up
and down to delay his opponent, forcing him to change course, but
does not make "bodily contact" the referee shall caution the
player for ungentlemanly conduct and award an IFK.
(9) If a player intentionally obstructs the opposing goalkeeper,
in an attempt to prevent him from putting the ball into play in
accordance with Law 12, 5(a), the referee shall award an IFK.
(10) If, after a referee has awarded a free-kick, a player
protests violently by using abusive or foul language and is sent
off the field, the free-kick should not be taken until the player
has left the field.
(11) Any player, whether he is within or outside the field of
play, whose conduct is ungentlemanly or violent, whether or not
it is directed towards an opponent, a colleague, the referee, a
linesman or other person, or who uses foul or abusive language,
is guilty of an offense, and shall be dealt with according to the
nature of the offense committed.
(12) If, in the opinion of the referee a goalkeeper intentionally
lies on the ball longer than is necessary, he shall be penalized
for ungentlemanly conduct and
(a) be cautioned and an IFK awarded to the opposing team;
(b) in case of repetition of the offense, be sent off the field.
(13) The offense of spitting at officials and other persons, or
similar unseemly behavior shall be considered as violent conduct
within the meaning of section (n) of Law 12.
(14) If, when a referee is about to caution a player, and before
he has done so, the player commits another offense which merits a
caution, the player shall be sent off the field of play.
(15) If, in the opinion of the referee, a player who is moving
toward his opponent's goal with an obvious opportunity to score a
goal is intentionally impeded by an opponent, through unlawful
means, i.e. an offense punishable by a free kick (or a PK), thus
denying the attacking player's team the aforesaid goal-scoring
opportunity, the offending player shall be sent off the field of
play for serious foul play in accordance with Law 12(n).
(16) If, in the opinion of the referee, a player, other than the
goalkeeper within his own penalty-area, denies his opponents a
goal, or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, by intentionally
handling the ball, he shall be sent off the field of play for
serious foul play in accordance with Law 12(n).
(17) The International F.A. Board is of the opinion that a
goalkeeper, in the circumstances described in Law 12 5(a), will
be considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with
any part of his hands or arms. Possession of the ball would
include the goalkeeper intentionally parrying the ball, but would
not include the circumstances where, in the opinion of the
referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for
example after he has made a save.
(18) 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 in order to circumvent article 5(c) of Law 12, the player will
be guilty of ungentlemanly conduct and will be punished accordingly
under the terms of Law 12; that is to say, the player will be
cautioned and shown the yellow card and an IFK will be awarded to the
opposing team from the place where the player committed the offense.
In such circumstances, it is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper
subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not. The offense
is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent both the
text and the spirit of Law 12.
1992 Memorandum - Advice to Referees:
1. The word "kicks" in the foregoing text (re goalkeeper use of
hands) refers only to circumstances where a player plays the ball
with the foot or feet.
2. Similarly, a deflection with the foot or feet is permitted in
circumstances where it is not intentional (involuntary deflection
or miskick from a teammate).
3. In situations where the ball is deliberately kicked by a
teammate away from the goalkeeper (e.g. to the side of the goal),
but with the intention that the goalkeeper may collect it, the
spirit of the Law is that this would be regarded as an
intentional pass to the goalkeeper. Therefore, if in such
situations, the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands, an
indirect free-kick must be awarded.
It is no longer legal for the goalkeeper to pick up or touch with
his hands a ball intentionally kicked to him by a teammate. This
means that any ball intentionally directed by a teammate's foot
to a place where the goalkeeper can play it may not be touched by
the keeper's hands. He may play it with any other part of his
body, but not with the hands. If the teammate plays the ball
with some part of the body other than the feet, then the
goalkeeper is allowed to pick up the ball. In addition, if the
ball comes to the goalkeeper, having last been played
unintentionally by a teammate's foot, the goalkeeper may pick the
ball up.
Here are two examples to make the concept clearer: First, a
defender dribbles the ball out of the penalty area and then
pushes it with his foot back into the penalty are for the
goalkeeper, who moves to the ball and picks it up; second, the
defender dribbles the ball out of the penalty area and leaves it
for the goalkeeper, who goes outside the penalty area to the
ball, dribbles it back into the area, and picks it up. Both of
these situations are clear violations of the Spirit of the Game
and should be punished through the awarding of an indirect free
kick to the attacking team from the spot where the goalkeeper
picks the ball up.
No trickery may be used to get around the terms of the amendment
to Law 12. A player may pass the ball to his own goalkeeper
using his head, chest, knee, etc.; however, if, in the opinion of
the referee, the player uses a deliberate trick -- such as
flicking the ball to his head with his foot and heading it to the
goalkeeper or kneeling and deliberately pushing the ball to the
goalkeeper with his head or knee -- he must be cautioned for
ungentlemanly conduct. It makes no difference whether or not the
goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands; the offense is
committed by the player who is seeking to circumvent both the
Spirit and Letter of the Law.
The changes will eliminate the common time wasting tactic of
kicks to the goalkeeper that opponents cannot effectively
challenge because of goalkeeper's special privileges.