Question Number: 18865

Law 13 - Free Kicks 4/23/2008

RE: Select High School

Miles Hoover of Altus, OK USA asks...

The other 2 refs with me the other night for a high school match were discussing direct and indirect free kicks from inside one's own penalty area. They thought all restarts required the ball to exit the penalty area before it could be played by another player. I said that only applied to goal kicks and it was acceptable to play a short ball to another player inside the penalty area. Who's correct? Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Miles!! You should know this. Law 13 clearly states ALL free kick coming out of one's own penalty area are not in play until the ball leaves the penalty area boundaries.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

(Cue that sound when one loses on the price is right.)

Sorry Miles, even in the mess of high school rules your buddies were right. Thanks for playing. Sorry it didn't work out.

Rod, what consolation prizes do we have for him?!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Miles my lad,
How can I put this nicely?
Hmmmmm?
You ask who is correct?
If you were in a room with only yourself no one in that room has the correct answer!!
Yes we have poked a bit of fun but I am willing to bet you remember this for the rest of your referee career! ;o)
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Unlucky Miles. Here is the deal: IFK,s FKs and GKs are only in play when the ball goes BEYOND the penalty area. This means the ball has to cross one of the three boundaries of the penaty area one of which is not the goal line. Oh, and by the way, all opponents have to stay outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Even the NFHS rules didn't get this one wrong! How did you miss it? Any free kick coming out of the PA has to exit the PA to be in play. If it doesn't, we retake the kick.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I'll give Miles a way to salvage his pride. Perhaps he is not a USSF referee, but only has NFHS certification. Since we know the test for HS is much more concerned about whether a player is wearing a bandanna than whether he plays fairly, I'd suspect that this didn't come up in training Miles attended, if any.