The Ref Stop

Education and spirit or rules

Even when you are an AR and level with the edge of the penalty area it can be tricky to rule on handling on fly kicks. Just ask former EPL AR Andy Halliday who flagged for Pepe Reina being out of the area, the opposition scored, and guess what, he released the ball inside the area. Unless it is really blatant my advice at all levels would be to leave it alone, there are bigger things to worry about.
With fly kicks, is it where the ball is or where the Goalkeepers feet are? Is it the same with when they come to claim the ball near the edge of the Penalty Area?
 
The Ref Stop
With fly kicks, is it where the ball is or where the Goalkeepers feet are? Is it the same with when they come to claim the ball near the edge of the Penalty Area?
The ball, is their hand still in contact with the ball once it is wholly over the penalty area line. Very difficult to tell with the naked eye, players see the keeper landing outside and appeal but that is irrelevant.
 
The ball, is their hand still in contact with the ball once it is wholly over the penalty area line. Very difficult to tell with the naked eye, players see the keeper landing outside and appeal but that is irrelevant.
Thought it was that but wasn't too sure
 
I had one team and coaches banging on about the oppo goalkeeper and how close he was to fly kicking outside the PA, I was AR one so had the bench on at me first half. Just told them I was watching it but there was no offence. Obviously AR had the goalkeeper second half and commented how close they were getting to the edge of the PA. Sometimes, it's just how it goes. All you can do is watch from your best position at the time.
 
And it's also worth pointing out that fouls at U13s will be less forceful than the same action at adult level, because the players are smaller and muscles are less developed
On this point, the flip side is that at that age their bodies are also more fragile so it takes less force to break an opponent's leg or temporarily put them out of action to be subbed off...

There is already a lot of debate here on age vs cards. For me if age is a consideration then they should not be playing on a full size filed, size 5 ball and full size goals. If all that is in place then it should also be the full application of the law with the variations allowable by law.
 
For clarity it is possibly for the goalkeeper's entire body, including their hand to be outside the penalty area and touching the ball which is mostly outside the penalty area but it will not be handball. All it takes for it not to be handball is a small part of the ball to be in or over the penalty area (line is in).
 
For clarity it is possibly for the goalkeeper's entire body, including their hand to be outside the penalty area and touching the ball which is mostly outside the penalty area but it will not be handball. All it takes for it not to be handball is a small part of the ball to be in or over the penalty area (line is in).
Think we had this debate a while back and we agreed that the keeper can handle a ball that's in the area and it would not be an offence if his hand touched the part of the ball that was not in the area, as the whole or the ball is considered to be within the area once any part meets the boundary of the PA. 👍
 
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