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[quote=Anonymous][quote=RantingSoccerDad][quote=Anonymous]Somewhat of a soccer neophyte here.

How do refs interpret contact with the keeper?  I get that a 50/50 ball is just that, and fair game (and a goalie presumably has a responsibility to protect him/herself).  Too often, though, particularly at the younger ages, there is no doubt that GK will get to the ball first, yet the attacking player will come in full bore on the chance that the GK misplays it (as taught by the coach to "follow up"), and when the keeper goes to play it cleanly (either by hand or foot), he/she gets taken out.

FWIW, I come from the hockey culture where the rules recognize that GK is almost always in a vulnerable position and the rules are designed to protect the keeper. I'm curious whether soccer refs follow the same thinking.   [/quote]

Refs generally do protect the keeper a good bit -- sometimes to the dismay of TV commentators.

The goalkeeper cannot be challenged when he or she has the ball in hand, and the definition of "in hand" is more expansive than people realize. If the ball is in an outstretched open hand, it's in hand. If the ball is between the hand and the ground (or the hand and the ground), it's in hand. (The latter came up in one of my games. The coach said, "Had to have both hands on it last I checked, but OK." I wonder when he last checked.[/quote]

As a ref this one can be really tough.  What I see a fair bit, even in higher level /older kid games is the lazy backpass.  A fair number of wingbacks in particular are bad about shoulder checking before they pass it back to the keeper.  The smart striker will wait until the back puts their head down after deciding to pass it back.  The striker sees the head go down and sprints straight at the keeper.  Kids yell "man on", but the back just thinks that means a man on THEM, not a man heading to the keeper, so they quickly pass the ball back to the keeper...into the onrushing attacking players feet!

This is just a terrible situation for the keeper.  They either sprint towards the ball, but since it's a backpass they can't use their hands or they backpedal and try to anticipate the shot.

I've seen some keepers get just plowed on this one, and in one case had to actually card the keeper because the attacking player had control of the ball when the keeper ran into him.[/quote]

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