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From the Advice to Referees...
A goalkeeper who has taken hand control of the ball and then released it back into play may not handle it again until it has been played by an opponent anywhere on the field or by a teammate outside the penalty area. Referees should note carefully Decision 3, which defines "control" and distinguishes this from an accidental rebound or save.
Law 12, Decision 3...
The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball, but does 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.
So, the goalkeeper may not handle the ball after a parry, but may do so after a save.
But, what is a "parry" and what is a "save"?
Basically, if the goalkeeper had a reasonable opportunity to catch the ball and instead simply "fisted" it or otherwise played it away with his hands, that's a parry. If he did not have a reasonable opportunity to catch it but was able to stop or deflect it with his hands or arms, that's a save.
The extreme examples are obvious. An easy, arcing kick from 20 yards away and directly to the keeper should be catchable; a hard, low kick from 5 yards out and away from the keeper probably isn't. It's the cases in between that may cause the referee some difficulty.
A referee should learn the teams he is officiating. He should watch how they play to determine not just their tendencies, but also their level of skill. Part of it is individual ability. Part of it is age level. A U10 team is probably not as skilled, either as a team or as individuals, as a U19 team.
The referee needs to answer several questions: How hard was the ball played? How far away was it? How and how much did the keeper have to move to reach the ball? What is the skill level of the keeper?
If, based on the answers to those questions, the referee feels the keeper had a reasonable opportunity to catch the ball, then any intentional contact with the hands or arms is control. And the keeper may not handle the ball again.
(If you wish to comment on this article, send a message to basra@basra-refs.org.)
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