When can't the goalkeeper pick the ball up?
A · Advanced · What is a foul? · 2 of 12A goalkeeper may handle the ball only inside their own penalty area, and not from a teammate's deliberate kick or directly from a teammate's throw-in. Holding it in the hands for more than eight seconds gives the opponents a corner kick. Either handling offence otherwise gives an indirect free kick.
How it works
Inside the penalty area, an indirect free kick if the goalkeeper:
- handles the ball again after releasing it, before anyone else has touched it;
- handles it after a teammate deliberately kicked it to them (the back-pass rule);
- handles it directly from a teammate's throw-in.
The 8-second rule:
- Once the goalkeeper controls the ball with the hands, they have 8 seconds to release it.
- The referee counts down the last five seconds with a raised hand.
- Over 8 seconds: a corner kick to the opponents.
- An opponent cannot challenge a goalkeeper who has control of the ball in the hands.
Outside the penalty area the goalkeeper is like any other player: handling is a handball offence.
Tricky cases
Can the goalkeeper pick up a back-pass headed by a teammate?
Yes, unless the teammate used a deliberate trick, such as flicking the ball up to head it back, to get round the rule. That trick is an indirect free kick and a yellow card.
Can the goalkeeper pick up a teammate's miskick?
Yes. The rule applies only to a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper.
Is the goalkeeper ever given a card for handling?
Not for handling inside their own area, except when handling the ball a second time after a restart stops a promising attack or denies a goal or a clear chance.
Why the rule exists
The back-pass rule stops teams wasting time by passing to the goalkeeper to pick up. The 8 seconds keeps the game moving.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All football under the Laws | As above; the corner kick for the 8 seconds is in the 2026/27 Laws | L12.2, 12.3, 17 |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3 and Law 17, in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).