A goalie can use their hands inside their own penalty area. They cannot use their hands outside it, and they also can’t handle a deliberate back pass from a teammate’s feet or a throw-in from a teammate.

Main rule

  • Allowed: Catching, blocking, and controlling the ball with hands inside the penalty area.
  • Not allowed: Using hands outside the penalty area.
  • Also not allowed: Picking up a deliberate kick from a teammate or a teammate’s throw-in.

Common detail

Once the goalie has the ball in their hands, they must release it within 6 seconds.

Easy example

If the ball is rolling near the goal and the keeper is standing in the box, they can dive and catch it. If the keeper steps outside the box and handles it, that’s a foul.

TL;DR: A goalie can use their hands only in their own penalty area, with a few important exceptions.