In case someone is wondering, the goalie could not use his hands to save the first "shot" because it was made by his own team mate. Thus he had to resort to using his head instead...

Electing to use his head shows how confident he was, else he was foolhardy. Most of the time you should catch that and then have a debate about whether it was a backpass. The worst scenario is conceding a direct free kick in the area, unless they're now giving penalties for that offence.

If the goalie had used his hands to make the save, and the referee ruled it a "backpass", he would have had to give a red card to the goalie as well: for stopping a "sure goal" by illegal means...

fifa must burn. rules must be modernized

>> ^legacy0100:
fifa must burn. rules must be modernized


Like in: Allow the ball to be carried?

>> ^Norsuelefantti:
If the goalie had used his hands to make the save, and the referee ruled it a "backpass", he would have had to give a red card to the goalie as well: for stopping a "sure goal" by illegal means...


That's by no means a certainty for backpasses because you can claim it wasn't a backpass but an attempt on goal that he has no choice but to stop. Normally it's skewed clearances that head back to goal and clearly the keeper can save those. This is a close judgement call though. But since I don't recall a keeper being sent off for handling a backpass (pulling down a player is another matter of course) I reckon he would have been ok.

Usually when a backpass is made it isn't a case of preventing "a sure goal" and goalies don't even get a yellow card. In this instance it surely would have gone in the goal without the goalies manipulation. It's basically the same situation when a field player deliberately stops a goalbound ball with his hands - a red card is well-grounded.

I have seen goalies given the red card for using their hands a few times: once in a situation like this and a couple of times when they made a save outside the penalty box.