Question Number: 12302

Law 18 - Common Sense 3/5/2006

RE: Competitive Under 16

Andrew of Beaverton, Oregon USA asks...

Just a few questions I would like to ask.
First, if a player takes a penalty kick which bounces off the post, can they follow it up again and score?
Second, can a person be offsides from a goal kick? Or when the goaly punts it?
And finaly, say a person is on a breakaway, and shoots the ball, and it looks like it might go in. But all of the sudden a spectator madly dashes onto the field and makes a spectacular save. What do you do?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. No. This results in an IFK for the opponent,. 2.No. By definition there is no ofside on s goal kick. Yes if the keeper is punting it..3. play is stopped and restarted with a dropped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

1. When a player is involved in any restart of play, except a dropped ball because that is in play when it hits the ground, the same player can not touch the ball a second time. HOWEVER if, by they, you mean can another of the kicker's side score a goal the answer is Yes, assuming Law 14 was not violated by that player.

2. On a goal kick if a player receives the ball directly, without touching another player of his side, there can be no offside offence. From a goalkeeper's punt offside applies.

3. If the ball is acted upon by something other than a player or a match official play stops there. The restart is a dropped ball, subject to the special circumstances of Law 8.

Regards,