Question:
Defense player (A) standing mid way between half field and the penalty arc, lobs a ball in the air back towards his own goal. Defense player (B) is standing in the penalty arc. There is multiply players from both team between Player A and B. Player (B) in the penalty arc decides to head the ball back to his keeper who picks it up.
The referee in this game called trickery to the pass back rule as he perceived that the original intent of player A was a pass back to the goalkeeper and that player B header was trickery to by step the law and allow the keeper to pick up the ball. He awarded a free kick just outside the 6 yard box.
Was he correct?
USSF answer (January 28, 2009):
It is not against the Law to head the ball to one’s own ‘keeper in this situation.
