Question Number: 20101

Law 16 - Goal Kick 9/29/2008

RE: REC Under 9

kathy brown of dayton, oh USA asks...

you have a goal kick: and the players line up to block the ball in front of the goal and the opposing players set up two of their people one player (almost in front of the goal) taps the ball and kicks it backwards the second player kicks the ball over the heads of the opposing team is this a legal play?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

No. The goal kick must be retaken. The ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area and enters the rest of the field. I'm also unclear from your description where the referee allowed the opponents to be. All opponents must be outside the penalty area and cannot enter it until the ball leaves it.

Here are the relevant points from Law 16:
Procedure
? The ball is kicked from any point within the goal area by a player of the defending team
? Opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
? The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player
? The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

ALL of this is wrong. You state the opponents line up in front of the goal to block the kick. The defenders MUST be outside the penalty area so they cannot be in front of the goal as you describe. The kick must leave the penalty area before it is in play and the ball may not be played by a second player until after it leaves the penalty area so this second player inside the penalty area could not take the pass from his teammate and proceed to kick the ball. the goal kick should be retaken properly withh all opponents outside the penalty area and no one plays the ball until it leaves the penalty area

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

! Hi Kathy,
while I am aware the ring of fire pervades the tactical ability of those who can not kick really well at the youth level I am confused by your scenario?
I was wondering which direction the kicker wanted the ball to go into the goal or down the field?
Is this a goal kick out or an indfk in?
Generally on goal kick (awarded when the ball last touched by an attacker in the defending end goes out over the goal line). The opposition must be completely outside the PENALTY area and the ball stationary inside the goal area in front of goal. I have this idea that only a semi circle surrounds the goal on a reduced field here? In the normal field set up the ball must leave the penalty area to be in play. The rolling ball is easier to hit into the air for the wee ones so perhaps this was something of a tactic even if not by the laws of the game a legal restart ?
Cheers