Pass Back

[YorkshireReferee]

Had an incident today which pretty much set the whole match into turmoil. I know I was 100% correct in law but I had 11 players and their touchline adamant that I was wrong.

The defender controls an incoming ball an then the goalkeeper comes and picks it up. Indirect free kick awarded. Had a tough time keeping it all under control and that was just before the IDFK was taken, you can imagine their reaction when the player passes it and it rocketed into the back of the net!

 

[SM]

ooooooooo... Difficult one. I can see both sides on that one. (Might be a silly question but) Did you think that was the players intention?

Had one myself a week or so back.

Ball through. Tall defender stretches and knocks it straight back to the keeper (perfect pass!). Keeper bends down and just picks it up - such an inch perfect knock that he could have easily controlled it with his foot.

Idfk. "How can that be a back pass ref? He had to stretch for it?" Queue a bit of chaos.

 

[RegalRef]

I had one last week.

Attacker through on goal on the break away, gets into penalty area, defender makes a good recovery challenge, wins the ball, has it under control and touches it a yard in front of him (I think ready to boot it upfield), keeper just comes and picks it up.

Bit of a stupid one as he, nor the recovering defender were in no way under pressure. The attacker on the break away had ended up on the floor in the challenge that won the ball.

I give it, queue all manor of protests from defending team.

Luckily from the resulting IDFK the player who struck the shot after the initial touch hit one so poor it went out for a throw!

 

[Padfoot]

I had one last week.

Attacker through on goal on the break away, gets into penalty area, defender makes a good recovery challenge, wins the ball, has it under control and touches it a yard in front of him (I think ready to boot it upfield), keeper just comes and picks it up.

Bit of a stupid one as he, nor the recovering defender were in no way under pressure. The attacker on the break away had ended up on the floor in the challenge that won the ball.

I give it, queue all manor of protests from defending team.

Luckily from the resulting IDFK the player who struck the shot after the initial touch hit one so poor it went out for a throw!

Did he deliberately play it to the keeper, or did the keeper just decide to pick it up?

Big difference between the two.

 

[Padfoot]

Had an incident today which pretty much set the whole match into turmoil. I know I was 100% correct in law but I had 11 players and their touchline adamant that I was wrong.

The defender controls an incoming ball an then the goalkeeper comes and picks it up. Indirect free kick awarded. Had a tough time keeping it all under control and that was just before the IDFK was taken, you can imagine their reaction when the player passes it and it rocketed into the back of the net!

Again, did he deliberately play it to the keeper or did the keeper just come out and pick it up?

If he's obviously left it for the keeper then fair enough. ...

 

[howard_webb]

Have to agree with padfoot was it a deliberate back pass or Did the keeper just come out and lift it

Don't think I would be giving it

 

[RefJef]

Slightly different scenario - last week I did a ladies match.

Attackers cross, ball cannons off a defenders leg (definitely unintentional) and heads towards keeper. I call "That's not a back pass, you can pick it up", which the the keeper did.

As we trotted back up field waiting for the keeper's clearance, the attacking no. 8, with a big cheeky grin on her face, said "I was thinking of appealing for that". The sad thing is, in the men's game there probably would have been 11 blokes who would have called it a back pass.

 

[YorkshireReferee]

This was definitely a back pass and I even shouted do not pick it up. He's controlled it towards the goalkeeper. Their argument was that he didn't make a pass movement but he's played it.using the force of the pass received.

 

[RustyRef]

You've got to be very close to 100% sure that the intention of the defender was to play the ball to the keeper to penalise it. I had one a few years ago where a cross came into the box, the defender very calmly controlled it, and before he could play it away there was a shout a "keeper's" and he dived onto it and picked it up. This led to uproar from the attacking team who were adamant this was a back pass but I wasn't having it and played on. The manager came to see me after, with the assessor also present and asked why "I hadn't done my job properly".

I pointed out that the defender hadn't deliberately kicked the ball to the keeper, and rather had probably intended to play the ball clear before the keeper decided to get involved. Fair to say we didn't agree with each other, although the assessor was fairly indifferent and said he would have backed me either way.

 

[Goldfish]

Hi
Too many refs do not want the hassle so GK play on that by picking up questionable ones as they are happy to risk that. When one is given queue all sorts of protests. If the defender controlled the ball and leaves it for the GK then it is a deliberate pass. It has become somewhat like the six second rule. GKs stretch that to the limit as they know it will rarely if ever be given. When they are given all sorts of protests even when the ref is 100% correct.

 

[mikedn]

I as a referee would not/have not... said to a keeper "that's not a back pass, you can pick it up". Why would I ?

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Had an incident today which pretty much set the whole match into turmoil. I know I was 100% correct in law but I had 11 players and their touchline adamant that I was wrong.

The defender controls an incoming ball an then the goalkeeper comes and picks it up. Indirect free kick awarded. Had a tough time keeping it all under control and that was just before the IDFK was taken, you can imagine their reaction when the player passes it and it rocketed into the back of the net!

Controlled it? Does this mean he kicked it? If he didn't kick it (play it with his foot), then you got the decision wrong.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

I as a referee would not/have not... said to a keeper "that's not a back pass, you can pick it up". Why would I ?

Match Control purposes. As outlined by the OP, such a decision can create match control issues. If you can avoid that by clarifying for all that the keeper can control the ball with his hands, that is being proactive.

 

[mikedn]

Match Control purposes. As outlined by the OP, such a decision can create match control issues. If you can avoid that by clarifying for all that the keeper can control the ball with his hands, that is being proactive.

I don't think it would be match control IMO surely the keeper should know if/when he can pick it up i am surely not going to do his job for him, not caused me any issues so far ....

 

[RustyRef]

Hi
If the defender controlled the ball and leaves it for the GK then it is a deliberate pass.

Don't necessarily agree GF. In that situation the defender hasn't necessarily deliberately kicked the ball to the keeper, and that is what the law requires to be able to penalise it. In most cases like this the defender will actually control the ball away from the keeper (not many are going to try to bring it down facing their own goal ..!) so how can it possibly be argued that they have deliberately kicked the ball to the keeper when they aren't even facing in that direction?

 

[RustyRef]

I don't think it would be match control IMO surely the keeper should know if/when he can pick it up i am surely not going to do his job for him, not caused me any issues so far ....

No different to telling players to be careful, don't foul, keep your hands down, etc. You are proactively telling them to not do something that will result in a foul, so I can't see how telling a keeper not to handle a back pass (or vice versa) is any different.

 

[GraemeS]

Match Control purposes. As outlined by the OP, such a decision can create match control issues. If you can avoid that by clarifying for all that the keeper can control the ball with his hands, that is being proactive.

I've made the mistake of shouting "Don't pick it up!" before - keeper instantly picked it up and when I gave the IFK, claimed that he heard me telling him to pick it up (fortunately the IFK was awful)! Tend to go with a shout of "Nooooooooo" or "No hands!" now to try and avoid that happening again.

 

[mikedn]

No different to telling players to be careful, don't foul, keep your hands down, etc. You are proactively telling them to not do something that will result in a foul, so I can't see how telling a keeper not to handle a back pass (or vice versa) is any different.

I don't tell the players no foul/keep your hands down i'm not doing their job for them either, the only exception is if on a corner being taken and there is a bit of jostling going on in the box i will say " Keep your hands to yourself "....... has served me well for the past 11 years

 

[Mooseybaby]

Gave a pass back last season, long through ball with defender and attacker in a race to get the ball first. Defender nicks it off the attacker's foot then plays it back to his keeper with his second touch. The pass is a bit wayward and about waist height, keeper runs across to stop it going for a corner and instinctively sticks out a hand and palms the ball twice, one to stop it going out and the second pushing it down towards his feet to bring it under control.

Immediately blow for the back pass, cue shouts from the sidelines, "How is that a back pass? Keeper didn't pick it up!"

 

[On The Game]

I don't tell the players no foul/keep your hands down i'm not doing their job for them either, the only exception is if on a corner being taken and there is a bit of jostling going on in the box i will say " Keep your hands to yourself "....... has served me well for the past 11 years

Find that quite strange! Communication is a huge part and if we can't agree if it's an IDFK here, how is the keeper meant to know which one of us will turn up and give what decision? It just sets everyone's expectation and makes it easier because you've already made your decision so it won't come as a surprise whichever way you give it.