Leroy, a parent involved in youth soccer, asks:
Can the goalkeeper handle the ball in the penalty arc of the goal being defended?
Answer
Nope, not legally (at least not while the ball is in play). The “penalty arc” is specifically defined as the portion of the area ten yards around the penalty mark which is not in the penalty area. It is rather like the center circle except that only the part of the circle that is outside the penalty area is actually marked. So, the important things to take away from this are that (a) the penalty arc is not part of the penalty area, (b) the only time anyone cares about the penalty arc and its area is at the taking of a penalty kick, and (c) a goalkeeper handling the ball in this area during play has committed a handball offense.
