Goalkeeper rules, explained: the back-pass, the 6-second rule and handling
Where and when a keeper can use their hands — including the deliberate back-pass rule that changed football, and the limits on holding the ball.
Hands only in the box
A goalkeeper may handle the ball only inside their own penalty area. Step outside it and they are, in effect, an outfield player — handling the ball beyond the area is a foul, and denying a goal that way can be a red card. Inside the box, though, the keeper has powers no one else has.
The back-pass rule
The single biggest limit is the back-pass rule, introduced in 1992 to stop time-wasting. A keeper cannot handle the ball if a teammate has deliberately kicked it to them, or thrown it in from a throw-in. Do so, and the other team gets an indirect free kick. This is why you see keepers frantically clearing with their feet from a back-pass.
The six-second rule
Once a keeper has the ball in their hands, they cannot hold it for more than six seconds before releasing it. The rule exists to stop deliberate time-wasting. In practice it is refereed leniently, but a keeper who blatantly sits on the ball can concede an indirect free kick.
What a keeper still cannot do
A keeper cannot pick the ball back up once they have released it from their hands until another player touches it (no bouncing it and re-catching). And handling a deliberate header or chest-pass from a teammate is fine — the back-pass rule only applies to a deliberate kick or throw-in. These fine lines are exactly what referees are watching for around the six-yard box.