Football goalkeepers may use their hands, but only inside their own penalty area.

The longer version

The handling privilege is tied to a marked rectangle in front of each goal, and outside it a goalkeeper is an ordinary player who can commit a handball like anyone else. The same rectangle has other jobs: it defines where a defending foul earns a penalty kick, and where a goal kick must be taken from.

The two roles are often confused, since a penalty depends on the attacker's position and the nature of the offence, not simply on being inside the rectangle. A separate limit governs possession, as a goalkeeper may not hold the ball beyond a short count while wasting time. The rectangle's dimensions were fixed early and are among the oldest unchanged markings on the field.

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