The rules of soccer are established by the International Federation of Association Football. Although the rule governing interference seems relatively clear-cut, in practice it has proven to be hard for referees to interpret. There have been situations in 2005 and 2010 in which the rule has been interpreted in opposing ways. FIFA issued a clarification in 2010, but gray areas remain.
Interference Rule
A goalkeeper has six seconds to distribute the ball into play, which he can do by kicking it or throwing it to a teammate. FIFA rules state: "It is an offense for a player to prevent a goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands." The phrase "releasing the ball" is interpreted to cover the period from when the goalkeeper has clearly taken hand control of the ball until the minute the ball is clearly released into play. This includes time when the keeper is bouncing the ball, running with the ball, in the process of dropping the ball to kick it or throwing the ball. On the other hand, if a goalkeeper simply fumbles the ball and it drops to the ground, it is live.
2005 Incident
In a 2005 World Cup qualifying match between Trinidad/Tobago and Bahrain, the T&T goalkeeper went to the top of the goalie box, where an opponent was waiting. As the goalie tried to punt the ball, the opponent kicked it away when the goalie dropped the ball to punt it, then shot it into the goal. The referee waved off the goal. This call was correct, since an opposing player cannot prevent the goalie from releasing the ball, but it still provoked a melee and the player who thought he had scored the tying goal made contact with the referee and received a red card.
2010 Incident
In a match between D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union, a D.C. attacker moved close to the goalie, waved his arms and made various head and body feints toward him. While this was occurring, the goalie dropped the ball. The attacker took possession and scored. The goal was allowed. However, a subsequent clarification of the interference rule determined that the goal should have been nullified, since the antics of the attacker had "influenced" the goalie while he was in possession of the ball.
Gray Area
Despite the various attempts to interpret and clarify the rule against interference with a goalkeeper, questions remain. As the Ask a Soccer Referee website puts it, the referee must weigh the actions of the opponent and the distance he is from the goalie. For example, if an attacker 10 yards from the goalie jumps into the air to intercept a ball that has been released by a kick or throw, that would not be interference. If the attacker was four yards away, that would be interference. In short, it's a judgment call. One additional factor: The interference rule sometimes is considered to be a safety rule to protect goalies, but except for specific allowances, such as use of the hands, "the goalkeeper has no more rights than any other player." Dirty play or unsportsmanlike play is covered under rules relating to conduct, not goalie interference.
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