Goalkeepers and steps

[suffolkpunch]

I am interested to know when did the law change as to how many steps a goalkeeper can take while holding the ball, I don't remember it happening. It seems today a goalkeeper can pick the ball up then go run a marathon inside the penalty area, can any one shed some light on this?

[Bluemike]

From 2006 :-

Answer provided by Referee Jeroen Krijvenaar

Hi, you are correct there used to be a 4 step rule , that allowed the goalie only 4 steps with the ball in his hand, Fifa changed these rules appr 6 years ago , now the goalie is allowed to do as many steps as he/she wants as long as he does not hold the ball in his hand more then 6 seconds. After these 6 seconds he has to drop the ball or kick it with his feet, he is then no longer authorised to use his hands.

[marko69]

Thanks for posting. I didn’t know the 6 seconds rule. I assume free kick from where he’s standing if it goes to 7 seconds. Probably never been needed in any game, ever.

Imagine a ref blew for 7 seconds and the opposing team scored? The rage amongst fans would be unreal....... mainly because no one knows the 6 seconds rule.

[ipswichtownNo1]

It would be a tragedy

[marko69]

I resisted!!

Well done though !

[suffolkpunch]

From 2006 :-

Answer provided by Referee Jeroen Krijvenaar

Hi, you are correct there used to be a 4 step rule , that allowed the goalie only 4 steps with the ball in his hand, Fifa changed these rules appr 6 years ago , now the goalie is allowed to do as many steps as he/she wants as long as he does not hold the ball in his hand more then 6 seconds. After these 6 seconds he has to drop the ball or kick it with his feet, he is then no longer authorised to use his hands.

Right hands up all those that have read this will now be counting the seconds the goalie holds the ball for when the World Cup gets underway

[arana peligrosa]

Keep getting visions (when seeing the thread title) of past names such as Banks, Yashin, Dino Zoff etc - lined up with a group of horribly cuntish "musicians" suited to the under 10's and stone-deaf.

[marko69]

From 2006 :-

Answer provided by Referee Jeroen Krijvenaar

Hi, you are correct there used to be a 4 step rule , that allowed the goalie only 4 steps with the ball in his hand, Fifa changed these rules appr 6 years ago , now the goalie is allowed to do as many steps as he/she wants as long as he does not hold the ball in his hand more then 6 seconds. After these 6 seconds he has to drop the ball or kick it with his feet, he is then no longer authorised to use his hands.

Right hands up all those that have read this will now be counting the seconds the goalie holds the ball for when the World Cup gets underway

Sitting in car at train station waiting on son arriving from down south........ and I just raised my arm like a proper teachers pet, WD!

[suffolkpunch]

From 2006 :-

Answer provided by Referee Jeroen Krijvenaar

Hi, you are correct there used to be a 4 step rule , that allowed the goalie only 4 steps with the ball in his hand, Fifa changed these rules appr 6 years ago , now the goalie is allowed to do as many steps as he/she wants as long as he does not hold the ball in his hand more then 6 seconds. After these 6 seconds he has to drop the ball or kick it with his feet, he is then no longer authorised to use his hands.

Right hands up all those that have read this will now be counting the seconds the goalie holds the ball for when the World Cup gets underway

Well well well. Just watched 1st half of France v Australia. At about the 8 minute mark the Aussie goalie held the ball and I counted to around 10. So either our referee friend has got it wrong or todays referee dosn't know the law or he just ignored it altogether, If it is any of the later two what is he doing there.

[Tangfastic]

SP, isn’t this more of a guideline, than a strict rule?

I’m assuming refs apply a bit of common sense and if the game is 0-0 after 8 mins and the GK takes a few seconds more ... then let it go. If the GK is wasting time at the end of the game then the ref can book the GK. I would hate it if nit-picking refs apply the law to the tee as it will be start-stop and ruin the game.

If we get to the stage where we’ve got stopwatches in our hands and start shouting “it was 6.2, ref “ then i’ll stop watching footy and join St Jude in watching “ Steps” videos.

[suffolkpunch]

SP, isn’t this more of a guideline, than a strict rule?

I’m assuming refs apply a bit of common sense and if the game is 0-0 after 8 mins and the GK takes a few seconds more ... then let it go. If the GK is wasting time at the end of the game then the ref can book the GK. I would hate it if nit-picking refs apply the law to the tee as it will be start-stop and ruin the game.

If we get to the stage where we’ve got stopwatches in our hands and start shouting “it was 6.2, ref “ then i’ll stop watching footy and join St Jude in watching “ Steps” videos.

Sorry but our referee friend said it was a rule (no mention of a guideline) Also what difference does it make when time is wasted, beginning, middle or end, it is all time wasting. Going by your thoughts we might as well forget about offside or handball in the first part of the game. After all the law is the law. If you team needed a goal and the opposition wasted time at the beginning of the game therefore deigning yor team the time it should have had, you say that would be tough luck "yeah right" I believe that.

[Tangfastic]

SP, isn’t this more of a guideline, than a strict rule?

I’m assuming refs apply a bit of common sense and if the game is 0-0 after 8 mins and the GK takes a few seconds more ... then let it go. If the GK is wasting time at the end of the game then the ref can book the GK. I would hate it if nit-picking refs apply the law to the tee as it will be start-stop and ruin the game.

If we get to the stage where we’ve got stopwatches in our hands and start shouting “it was 6.2, ref “ then i’ll stop watching footy and join St Jude in watching “ Steps” videos.

Sorry but our referee friend said it was a rule (no mention of a guideline) Also what difference does it make when time is wasted, beginning, middle or end, it is all time wasting. Going by your thoughts we might as well forget about offside or handball in the first part of the game. After all the law is the law. If you team needed a goal and the opposition wasted time at the beginning of the game therefore deigning yor team the time it should have had, you say that would be tough luck "yeah right" I believe that.

In terms of priorities in refereeing, I hope they concentrate on getting the penalty and offside decisions correct... because they are critical. Red and yellow cards also. I have my doubts about VAR, but if they improve those decisions then that would be great. Whether a GK takes a few extra seconds, particularly when the games a stalemate in the first half, doesn’t bother me in the slightest. If there is persistent time-wasting, the ref issues a card. That sounds fair. The ref can use his judgement on that one, rather than his stopwatch. I’d rather he concentrate on getting the big decisions right.

We need rules, but some need to be applied more strictly than others. I think some fans get bogged down with the rule book and forget they’re there to watch teams play good football. I bet there’s more time-wasted with free-kicks, corners, throw-ins, etc than GK’s .... and to be honest a team without the ball actually doesn’t mind those extra seconds because it gives them time to get back in position. The time-wasting gets crucial in the closing minutes when a team is defending a lead ... that’s when a good ref understands this and give a team a hurry-up or adds on more time. We don’t need more unnecessary stoppages for trivial offences.

I’ve read that in a 11 a side football match, on average, the ball is not in play 34% of the time. That’s like more than 30 minutes of no action. It’s a mostly accepted part of the game and it gives players time to get their breath back. I think you’re GK steps thing is a drop in the ocean.

[Bluemike]

The thing that pisses me off more is when a player tries to usher the ball out for a goalkick or throw in while making no attempt to play the ball, instead they hold, obstruct, and foul every way possible but nothing is ever given, anywhere else on the pitch it is a foul 100%

[marko69]

Good points.

Another idea. On the digital substitute board with players numbers..... maybe a 10 second countdown clock? If the player is not “OFF” in that time, he’s booked.

[Tangfastic]

One good thing that was caught by the referee in the Croatia game was the Nigerian defender who pretty much locked himself around the Croatian going for a header. An obvious penalty decision there, where a lot of these go unnoticed. Was it the Norwich home game last season where Garner was similarly manhandled?

It’s a tough one because it seems every player ( attacker and/or defender) seems to have a handful of someone’s shirt at a corner. A bit of jostling and nudging is ok, but I hate the shirt grabbing and the locking of arms round an opponent.

[Tangfastic]

Good points.

Another idea. On the digital substitute board with players numbers..... maybe a 10 second countdown clock? If the player is not “OFF” in that time, he’s booked.

In the past few seasons at Town, the substitutions have been the most entertaining part of the games.

The fans got most animated when Mick stuck Douglas on to save a game, the calls for Celina to go on and the infamous Barry Cotter farewell substitution. Mick would have loved a 5 second countdown to sneak players on and off.