soccer question for Euro's & Queen

[Stig / Major Tom]

A rules question for U.K. & European members:
When keeper is down on the pitch covering the ball.....exactly how much control must the goalie have before ball is no longer in play to attacking players?

Soccer parent asking - twice in past week watched goalie daughter have ball kicked out of her hands while on the ground trying to secure it in a right scrum! Glad I bought her those good German gloves!
Both occasions ref let them play on. This is a high school team. Daughter is 16 .She has been helped off the pitch twice in past 3 matches.  Brave but not too smart....it's in her blood. :-) (checked for concussions....returned in 2nd half)
Thinking about sending her out with my Nolan on.
Thanks
Stig

[Snorvey]

I think it's at the referees discretion as to wether the ball is under the control of the goalkeeper. Generally though, the keepers are given such a high level of protection these days and almost always given the benefit of the doubt.

Certainly, kicking the ball out of the goalkeepers hands is a big no-no and almost certainly would be given as a foul against the attackers.

[Edit]...and I've been watching some of the roughest Scottish football for decades and witnessed a player on one team who got into an on pitch fight with another player. He picked up a grassy divot and tried to shove it down his opponents throat - that was deemed 'alright & to 'Get up you big baby''.  By contrast, in the same game, a player farted in the general direction of the opposing goalkeeper was sent off for serious foul play!*

*I might have exaggerated that a bit :-)