RateTheRef

IFAB posed a question on twitter earlier: May any of the players change places with the goalkeeper?

See twitter thread: https://twitter.com/Olalekan_Owo/status/1070018628681154560

Now obviously the answer is yes - with the refs permission but if they change without his permission then the ref will allow play to continue and both will receive a yellow card as soon as the ball goes out of play.

I have followed up with a question of my own: What if he makes a save before the ball goes out of play? Would he then get a red for DOGSO as he shouldn't be in goal? "denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)" or would he be treated as a legitimate goalkeeper in that scenario?

I'm awaiting a reply from IFAB but what do you guys think? Treat him as a legitimate goalkeeper & just the yellow for swapping without permission or a red for DOGSO as he is technically not the legitimate goalkeeper?

This sort of happened in a game I was playing in, ooh at least 15 years ago probably nearer 17 come to think of it! The opponents swapped keepers, in play without informing the ref, and with the new keeper midway through changing, with his gloves on and half wearing his new gk shirt and half in skins, he picked up the ball. Not really a save as such, just collecting another one of our many wasted long passes....!

I won't say yet what the ref did....!

I look forward with interest to you sharing the outcome!

The way the law is phrased seems to suggest to me that the offence is merely changing places without permission and the only sanction is a yellow card for each player.

That said, there is certainly an ambiguity and it is surprising that it does not cover the eventuality of either player handling the ball inside their penalty area.

In practice, I struggle to see how it could really happen because presumably the outfield player would need to change into a goalkeeper kit and the goalkeeper would need to change into an outfield top. It does half make you wonder if it might be worth a team doing when they send their keeper forward in the last few minutes and leave a small full-back or whoever back to cover but presumably the time involved in doing this means it would be counter-productive.

Dusting off the instructors manual the player in the gk jersey is treated as the gk so even it is a different player he cannot be penalised for dogso handball in their own penalty area. 2 cautions at next stoppage