Question Number: 19928

Law 16 - Goal Kick 9/11/2008

RE: Rec, Select, Competive Adult

Richard Bennett of Redmond, WA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 19739

My question is relative to the answers provided to question number 19628. Donat Paulin of Campbellton, Canada asks ... A goalie takes a goal kick and kick the ball over his goal line. What is the call? Re-take the kick or a corner kick !!!
First my response - You all seem to forget what the penalty area is. The penalty area is defined as the two lines drawn at right angle to the goal line, 18 yds from the inside of each goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for a distance of 18 yds and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. The area bounded by these lines AND the goal line is the penalty area. FYI - This defines a box that IS the penalty area. From any free kick inside this area the ball must go beyond this area to be in play. If on a goal kick by the goalkeeper the ball goes directly beyond the goal line, the restart is a corner kick because the goalkeeper touched it last, it went over his goal line, and that means the opposing team gets the ball on the restart. This is the same no matter where on the goal line it passes into touch because he can't score on himself from any restart in the penalty area. If he takes the goal kick and somehow manages to touch it before it crosses the goal line between the two goal posts, then it's obviously a second touch, not a goal, and an IDFK for the opposing team. If the ball never clears the penalty area (remember this includes the goal line) before being touch by another player, then and only then is it a retake. My question is how can such a distinguished group of referees miss such an obvious definition to what the penalty area is? Had this been clear to you all, the confusing bunch of follow up questions and answers could have been avoided.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Rest assured, we know very well what the boundaries of the penalty area are.

Perhaps you missed this provision of Law 16: 'The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area.'

If it is kicked directly over the goal line, it is not in play because the area behind the line is not in play. As the lines are part of the area they bound, there is no quick-in-quick-out scenario here. When 1% of the ball is still over the goal line and 99% of it is over, it still hasn't come into play. When that final smidgen of ball crosses the outer edge of the goal line, it's not in play because now it is not on the field. It never came into play, so the goal kick must be retaken.

Also, all infringements of Law 16 (e.g. second touch) begin, "If, after the ball is in play ..." If it's not in play, it is not a second touch; the kick is retaken.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

My colleague Ref Voshol is spot on! Beyond the boundry BUT into play! The ball is not in play if it crosses the goal line before it completely leaves the penalty area. The corner kick senario applies ONLY to a defending free kick taken from outside the penalty area that DIRECTLY enters their own goal under the crossbar between the posts. ANY free kick from within the penalty area must first leave the area. A weak high kick with backspin into a strong wind, the ball has sufficent force to travel outside the boundry but the strong wind blows it back and it entered into the goal without ANYONE touching or playing that ball would be a corner kick senario.
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19970