The Goalkeeper Back-Pass Rule Explained: Deliberate Kicks, Throw-ins and Exceptions

The goalkeeper back-pass rule prevents a goalkeeper from handling certain balls played by a team-mate. The restriction applies when a team-mate deliberately kicks the ball to the goalkeeper or delivers it directly from a throw-in. It does not apply to every deflection, header or accidental pass.

The official rule

Under IFAB Law 12, an indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper inside their own penalty area touches the ball with the hand or arm after it has been deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate or received directly from a team-mate’s throw-in.

The goalkeeper may still play the ball with the feet. The offence occurs only when the goalkeeper uses the hand or arm inside the penalty area while the restriction remains active.

What does “deliberately kicked” mean?

The team-mate must deliberately play the ball with the foot. A normal pass, controlled clearance or purposeful touch can qualify. The pass does not need to be accurate, and the goalkeeper does not need to be the only possible receiver.

The referee also judges the intended destination. A ball originally passed to another team-mate that runs through untouched to the goalkeeper is not automatically a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper. IFAB guidance allows handling when the original kick was not intended for the goalkeeper.

“Deliberate” describes the act of kicking and directing the ball. It does not require the defender to intend an offence or expect the goalkeeper to pick it up.

Which body parts create the restriction?

The back-pass restriction concerns a ball deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper. In the Laws, kicking means contact with the foot or ankle. A genuine header, chest pass or knee pass does not create the normal back-pass restriction.

However, players may not manufacture those permitted contacts through a deliberate trick. Flicking the ball up so a team-mate can head, chest or knee it back to the goalkeeper is unsporting behaviour when done to circumvent the Law.

What happens after a deliberate back-pass?

The goalkeeper may:

• Control and pass the ball with the feet.
• Dribble inside or outside the penalty area.
• Clear the ball first time.
• Allow another player to touch it before later handling.

The goalkeeper may not carry the ball into the penalty area and then pick it up. Touching it outside the area first does not remove the restriction. IFAB guidance specifically confirms that a goalkeeper who receives the pass outside, dribbles inside and handles it commits an offence.

What is the restart?

The opponents receive an indirect free kick from the position where the goalkeeper handled the ball. When the offence occurs inside the goal area, the free kick is taken from the nearest point on the goal-area line parallel to the goal line.

The referee raises an arm to signal an indirect free kick. A goal cannot be scored directly from that kick unless the ball touches another player first.

Is the goalkeeper shown a card?

There is normally no disciplinary sanction for handling a deliberate back-pass inside the penalty area. The restart is an indirect free kick, but the goalkeeper is not cautioned for stopping a promising attack or sent off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity solely because of this goalkeeper-specific handling offence.

A card can still be shown for separate misconduct, such as dissent, delaying the restart or reckless conduct after the whistle.

The direct throw-in restriction

A goalkeeper cannot handle a ball received directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate. The throw can bounce on the field and still be “direct” in the sense that no other player touched it.

The goalkeeper may play it with the feet. Dribbling outside the penalty area and then entering the area does not create permission to handle. The restriction ends only after another player touches the ball.

The sanction is an indirect free kick without a card. The complete goalkeeper handling guide places this rule alongside second handling and the eight-second limit.

The failed-clearance exception

Law 12 contains an important exception. When the goalkeeper clearly kicks or attempts to kick the ball to release it into play, and that attempt fails, the goalkeeper may subsequently handle the ball inside the penalty area.

Examples include:

• A goalkeeper swings to clear a deliberate pass, miskicks it and catches the ball before it reaches the goal.
• A goalkeeper clearly tries to kick a direct team-mate throw-in into play, misses or mis-hits it and the ball then touches the hand.

The action must be a clear attempt to release the ball into play. A controlled first touch, trap or dribble is not enough. IFAB guidance distinguishes an attempted clearance from simply trying to control the pass.

What if the pass is inaccurate?

An inaccurate or unsuccessful pass can still be a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper. If a defender clearly intends to pass to the goalkeeper but the ball travels awkwardly, the goalkeeper remains restricted from handling it.

Accuracy is therefore not the test. The referee considers the team-mate’s deliberate action and intended destination.

What if the ball deflects from a team-mate?

A blocked shot, ricochet or accidental deflection does not usually become a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper. IFAB guidance allows the goalkeeper to handle after a team-mate blocks an opponent’s shot because the ball was not deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper.

A defender who deliberately tries to clear the ball in another direction may also produce a legal deflection toward the goalkeeper. The referee must distinguish a pass to the goalkeeper from a defensive action whose result was accidental.

What if a pass to another player runs through?

When a team-mate passes toward another team-mate who does not touch the ball, and it continues to the goalkeeper, handling can be legal if the ball was not originally intended for the goalkeeper.

This is why the rule cannot be reduced to “a team-mate kicked it last.” The intended recipient and nature of the play matter.

Deliberate tricks to avoid the rule

A player who initiates a trick to circumvent the Law is cautioned for unsporting behaviour. Examples include flicking the ball up from a goal kick or free kick so a team-mate can head or chest it back for the goalkeeper to catch.

The offence is penalised whether or not the goalkeeper ultimately handles the ball. The initiator is the player responsible for creating the trick; the goalkeeper is cautioned if the goalkeeper initiated it.

Play restarts with an indirect free kick from where the trick occurred, adjusted under the normal goal-area restart rule when necessary.

Can the goalkeeper use the hands after another player touches it?

Yes, provided the new touch creates a legal handling situation. An opponent’s touch normally removes the original back-pass restriction. A team-mate’s touch can also change the situation, but another deliberate kick to the goalkeeper would create a new restriction.

A deliberately saved ball or a second handling situation can involve different rules, so the goalkeeper must consider the latest play rather than only the original pass.

Does the rule apply outside the penalty area?

The goalkeeper cannot legally handle the ball outside the penalty area in any situation. Outside the area, the normal handball Law applies and the restart is a direct free kick.

The back-pass rule matters specifically when the goalkeeper handles inside the penalty area, where handling would otherwise be permitted. See Goalkeeper Rules Outside the Penalty Area for the separate sanctions.

Practical decision checklist

1. Identify which player last deliberately played the ball.
2. Decide whether the contact was with the foot or ankle.
3. Judge whether the kick was directed to the goalkeeper.
4. Check whether another player touched the ball afterward.
5. For a throw-in, check whether the goalkeeper received it directly from a team-mate.
6. Distinguish a real clearance attempt from a control touch.
7. Use the feet when there is any doubt about handling permission.

Common myths

• “Any team-mate touch makes handling illegal.” The normal restriction requires a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper or direct team-mate throw-in.
• “The pass must travel backward.” Direction is irrelevant; a pass can travel sideways or forward.
• “A bad pass is legal to pick up.” An inaccurate deliberate pass can still create the restriction.
• “Touching it outside first resets the rule.” Dribbling into the area does not remove the restriction.
• “A header is always legal.” A genuine header may be, but a deliberate trick to manufacture it is penalised.
• “The goalkeeper is sent off for stopping a goal.” This goalkeeper-specific handling offence inside the area normally has no card.

Frequently asked questions