Question Number: 19868

Law 16 - Goal Kick 9/3/2008

RE: Competitive-travel Under 15

Chris Cicio of Franklin Lakes, NJ USA asks...

It was a close game in u-14 travel soccer. I was taking a goal kick I placed the ball inside the goal area. When I kicked the ball the ref blew his whistle and told me, you have to place the ball on the line. He took the ball and set up for an indirect free kick. So, my question is can you place the ball inside the goal area ona goal kick.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This referee is incorrect. At the taking of a goal kick any member of the kicking team may place the ball anywhere inside the goal area. You do NOT have to place the ball on the 6 yard line. This referee was also cluless and I'm sorry he was doing a U-15 select level game. Assuming he thought the kick was incorrectly taken, then the ball was never put into play so he should have had you simply retake the kick. Instead, he compounded his foolishness and awarded an indirect free kick to the other team (at least this is what I gather from your description).

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Must have been one of those guys who tries to sleep in the back of the room during the clinics! Sigh.

Law 16 says the goal kick may be taken from anywhere within the goal area. It is not in play until the ball has completely exited the penalty area directly from the kick.

Do this referee a favor, and give a call to his assignor with this information. The assignor will deal with the misapplication of the Laws, and the referee shouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

When overly officious referees officiate one could at least hope they are true to the letter of the law even if tramping its spirit but here we have both the letter and spirit of the law at stake, what we have is a misapplication of law. ANY defending free kick including a goal kick that occurs in the defenders own goal area can be taken from ANY point within the 6 yard area.

ONLY an INDFK in favour of the attackers is required to be taken on the defending 6 yard goal area line parallel to the goal line.

For a goal kick to be legal the ball must completely exit the 18 yard boundary area back into live play before any player (except the kicker) can retouch the ball. If the referee feels something occurred BEFORE the ball exited ONLY a retake is possible

Now please tell me the referee did not award the indfk to the other team for a goal kick not taken on the goal area boundary line??? If this occurred it is grounds for a protest and about in the same vein as wrong as awarding a PK for a keeper's deliberate handling.
The referee even as incorrect as he was to not allow a kick from inside the goal area he must retake the goal kick if he felt there was something irregular with the ball placement as in the ball was moving or outside the goal area when kicked. A goal kick can be retaken but it NEVER ever can revert to an INDFK for either team back in the goal area.
Be sure the league is informed so corrective advise dispensed and this does not reoccur again.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If it's not too late, protest the game as the referee has misapplied the Laws. That will get him involved in a hearing, and the ref might just wake up and figure it's time for him to pay attention to the Laws.

Your league must be truly hurting for referees if this is what is supplied for a U14 game. I'd suggest becoming a referee yourself, and encouraging others to do so as well.