We know from the LOTG, (2012 p.117) that it "is an offence for a player to prevent a goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands." Obviously, when the GK rolls the ball out to a defender, at some point, the opposition may come along and steal the ball. My question is, if we rewind that play, when is the ball fair game for the attacker to steal? Here was my situation: after an attack plays out, the keeper is kneeling with the ball under control in the middle of the penalty area; the attacker is sitting on his butt with his hands on the ground and his feet sticking out to the side, about a foot in front of the keeper. The keeper decides to restart play quickly by rolling the ball out to the wide defender on that side. To do so, he just rises up to one knee and gives the ball an underhanded bowling roll out. The attacker reacts quickly and uses his hands to scoot himself about a yard across the grass attempting to block the release with his feet. As it happened, he did not touch the ball, but had he done so, it would have been about a foot and a half after the point of release, with the ball about 3 or 4 inches off the ground. Since it did not occur, I was off the hook. But the game was a Men's Open so had it happened, I am going to be confident in my call, but it sure helps my confidence when I am right in Law. The next bullet point, after the one quoted above says: "A player must be penalised for playing in a dangerous manner if he kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it." However, in my mind I was not goin gto blow the whistle. Had the foot hit the ball 18 inches after release, I was going to let play go and call it good--since the ball has been released, it is fair game. Would that have been the right call?
That is a tough one and a you had to be there I think. I am going to use a bit from the free kick restarts video to make my decision here. If the keeper chooses to attempt to release the ball with an opponent near them then they have taken that risk upon themselves. So assuming the opponents movement to intercept starts after the ball is realeased I am now going on to my second bit of analysis. So long as the attacker doesn't come closer (this is the part I am somewhat stealing from the free kick video) I am ok with it. My reasoning being that the keeper made the decision that they could have a fair release with the space they were given, if they space is unfairly taken away or the opponent makes their move before the ball is realeased then I feel they have infringed on the process of the keeper releasing the ball. I await the inevitable rebuttle.
Just using my minds eye, if the attacker made was going to make contact only 18 inches after release, he would almost have to start his movement before the keeper released the ball. Granted, the keeper may have been foolish trying to deliver the ball the way he did in the situation. It's difficult to say what I would do in that situation.
Just using my minds eye, if the attacker made was going to make contact only 18 inches after release, he would almost have to start his movement before the keeper released the ball. Granted, the keeper may have been foolish trying to deliver the ball the way he did in the situation. It's difficult to say what I would do in that situation.
I had a situation somewhat similar to that a couple of weeks ago. U15 National Cup Finals, keeper makes a save on a corner and decides to play quick out of the box. Keeper doesn't realize there is a forward about three feet to his left and behind him. Forward realizes what is about to happen and starts sprinting and manages to intercept the keepers rolled ball about 3 ft after it had been released. No choice but to let it play. The keeper took the risk and made a bad decision. On plays like this, I feel that once there is separation between the keeper and the ball (ie no longer has "control"), the ball is fair game.
So an opponent actively jumps and blocks a punt that has only just been punted (about a foot) from the keeper is fair game? Not critisizing because I was initially going to put something similar till I thought of this scenario.
I don't think it would be possible to completely define when such interference should be called. If the attacking player does something remotely dangerous (such as block a punt), call it. If the attacking player is being a prat (such as by first standing in front of the GK and then makes any move to follow the GK's attempt to release the ball), call it. The way I visualize the play being described, I don't see the attacker playing dangerously or irritatingly. But you'd have to be there.
I think the difference is that with a punt it's a sustained gesture that is difficult to stop in mid-process, whereas when bowling the ball, it's pretty easy to, er, tuck it instead.
Fair enough. I thought you were making a generalization for both the punt and the roll. I was trying to make a somewhat useful way of analyzing either one but I agree, given the difference in the mechanics of the two releases makes this difficult.
My practice is more preventative on such plays, to have the 'attacker' publicly instructed to clear out. The effect is that the goal-keeper knows now that you are making certain about his/her safety (recall dangerous play), and the attacker knows where you draw the line about acceptable fair play. The other yard stick that I utilise when the goal-keeper cannot claim to have control over - the process of release is complete - the distance that the attacker need to be away from the goal-keeper before the release is ~2 yards. Anything closer and on any contact with the goal-keeper, the attacker penalised, and most likely booked. This stops all further nuisance of shadowing the goal-keeper, by both teams. The distance of 18" is too close when you consider the arms are approx 30" long and when extended to roll the ball, the body is stretched approx 36" to 52" from hip in adult men of average height. When the attacker did not make contact after ball was released and was 18" away, I would still be seen to address the situation and instruct him to be very very careful, and that you played advantage on his dangerous play. There is a situation depicted from the BBVA (Spanish League), with Referee Pérez Lasa in the Barçelona-Espanyol clash, also given in the Professional Referee at Work thread: .
Where are you getting the ~2 ft? Is that just a guess or what because I have never heard of it in the LOTG. If it is just what you believe to be fair then okay. I do like your way of thinking but I think not only distance from the release but time since the release should come into play. I can foresee where a ball would be released and be less than 2 ft away.