Ever witnessed a melee around your team's penalty area in the midst of a game, wishing your goalkeeper would just pick up the ball to avoid any kind of danger - instead of handling the ball with their feet?
The back-pass rule actually prevents them from doing so. Here's all you need to know about the rule, why it was implemented, its punishments and more.
The back-pass rule states that a goalkeeper is forbidden to handle the ball when passed to them by a team-mate, according to Law 12, Section 2 of the Laws of the Game.
Goalkeepers are allowed to pick up balls in their penalty area, but they are not allowed to do so when the ball has been purposely kicked to them by a team-mate.
Instead, goalkeepers are to play the balls with their feet.
Players are allowed to head the ball back to their goalkeeper, or pass the ball back to their shot-stopper with any body part other than their foot.
Though the rule is named the 'back-pass rule', the laws do not state that the pass from the team-mate to goalkeeper must be backwards to be considered an offense – the goalkeeper is prohibited from handling the ball with their hands in either direction (towards or away from goal).
The back-pass rule was first implemented in 1992 as a means to deter time-wasting and safe, territorial play that kills the tempo and momentum of a game.
It was introduced as a direct response to the 1990 World Cup, which gained an infamous reputation for being slow and sluggish, where many defenders would simply pass the ball back to their goalkeepers to retain possession.
The rule was expanded upon in 1997, updated to disallow goalkeepers from picking up the ball when catching a throw-in made by a team-mate.
Illegal back-passes are punished with an indirect free-kick wherever the handling occurred.
If the back-pass was committed inside the six-yard penalty area, the kick will be taken from the point of the six-year box where of the offense happened.
Profnick
0
but but but but, I saw a backpass in the city game if im not mistaken, and the ref did nothing about it
Karupin
0
If back pass was an art lord lingard will be picasso of it [Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
you failed
Nebcdekmor
4
The second line from the bottom said "six-year box" [Crylaugh][Crylaugh][Crylaugh][Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
totlnosuz
0
If back pass was an art lord lingard will be picasso of it [Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
you failed
LORDCR7
1
If back pass was an art lord lingard will be picasso of it [Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
__arkopaul__
0
I still remember how I was very particular about that rule...I would ask for an indirect foul..most of the guys don't know the rules so they were confused as to why was asking for a foul..and sometimes we would get into fights arguing about that
hoeebisms009
0
do you ever head of the name maradona??
I did but he ain't better than Messi. Messi is the GOAT no one is better than him
raju95
0
Do you even watch football? It's clearly Messi of course 😂
do you ever head of the name maradona??
hoeebisms009
0
tell me who is the best player of argentina???...we will talk about the world later.
Do you even watch football? It's clearly Messi of course 😂
Maverick00
5
Did Juventus invented it?
lekbdeprt
1
In ice hockey, a play is offside if a player on the attacking team does not control the puck and is in the offensive zone when a different attacking player causes the puck to completely cross the blue line into the offensive zone.