Soccer Law 12 clarification, please?

[Spooner]

Can someone clarify the Fifa rule about the goalie not being allowed to handle the ball once it's left his possession unless it touches another player?

What does it mean to have been in possession? Does that mean under control? or would it count as in possesion if it hit his hands and bounced out as it often does, then he got it under control a few seconds later?

[Merrion]

Control means you have both hands on the ball, or have deliberately parried it with hands - see this article...

Would it count as in possesion if it hit his hands and bounced out as it often does, then he got it under control a few seconds later?

No

[venerable bede]

Basically, once the keeper releases the ball he can not handle it again until an opposition player touches the ball or one of his own side touches the ball (back passes are not allowed).

[run_GMoney]

You know, what about those keepers that like to bounce the ball before they kick it. That would seem to be in violation of that rule. I don't mean the the half-volley type kick where he drops it and kind of short-hops it, booting it right after it hits the ground. I mean, just bounces it a couple times. Wouldn't that be losing possession? Granted, I haven't played in a tight rule-following league in quite some time. But last I remember, they could bounce it.

[Merrion]

It is a violation if they lose control of the ball while bouncing it and then pick it up...however if you bounce the ball, or pass it from hand to hand, you are still in control of it so that's OK.

(At least that's what our league play and we have official FIFA refs...at vast expense)

[run_GMoney]

Well, what if they've got really bad form bouncing the ball? Say, from a basketball player's standpoint. I mean, if they're going to emulate the game, they should do it accurately. I say if anyone dribbles the ball with bad form, we determine it to be "out of control" and I get to "posterize" them on my 8 foot rim at home.

[Wally Pipp]

You know, I've played football for a good 7 years and I've never seen that happen once on the pitch

Basically, it's the intention that counts. If the ball bounces away from you and you try to scramble for it, that's losing control. Just bouncing it once or twice is not losing control.

[run_GMoney]

But bad form should count for something. Bad form = no basketball skills = sloppy dribbling = no control = me dunking over them on my 8 foot rim.

[Spooner]

It's well over 30 years since I played- my son is a wannabe keeper hence the question. When I played, the keeper had to bounce the ball if running with it, every 4 paces.

So, to clarify.... if the keeper gets to the ball, say high from a corner, or diving to the post to save a shot, and deflects the ball out of the goal, then scrambles to the ball and smothers it without another player touching the ball, is that OK or in contravention of the law?

[run_GMoney]

Yes that's allowed. Basically, you can't pick up the ball, drop it and toy around with it, then pick it up again. But you can bounce it. However my proposition includes a section that describes the punishment for having bad form when dribbling, or bouncing, the ball like a basketball player would. Such action done in bad form results in a posterization (new word, just made that up). There, all should be clear now.

[Wally Pipp]

In this instance I think it has all to do with the following : you used to see keepers rolling the ball to kick it forward and then pick it up again when an opponent came running at him.

That's the kind of situation where he's not allowed to pick it back up again i.e. the situation where he deliberately conceded possession and then retook it, not the situations where he could do no else than concede possession (as you described : catching a hard shot on goal and having to scramble for it a second time).
I even think that the latter case isn't considered full possession until he has the ball tight.

So basically when he deliberately concedes possession (by rolling it on the ground for a kick) he cannot pick it up again.
Don't know if it's given or not but I believe the bounce also falls under that ruling (could be wrong here).

[MerrionComputin]

It's well over 30 years since I played- my son is a wannabe keeper hence the question.

He should read the H2G2 article I wrote (and posted above) and do the training routines at FineSoccer.net - it's well worth is as a good keeper is never without a game...(even an average one, as I'm about to prove this evening )

Sláinte,
D