Question Number: 20571

Law 16 - Goal Kick 11/22/2008

RE: Amateur Adult

Sven Frijanger of Paulsbo, Washington USA asks...

Please help me with the following situation:

The goalkeeper is taking a goal kick into a violent wind. He kicks the ball up into the air, but the wind carries it back towards the goal. He parries it over the crossbar. What should be the proper restart?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Ask yourself did the ball EVER enter into play!

The goal kick requires the ball to completely leave the confines of the penalty area boundaries to be in play?

If it was kicked high into the wind and it did not clear the penalty area then it never entered play thus a retake is the correct option.


FIFA QUOTE LAW 16
? The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
If the ball is not kicked directly out of the penalty area from a goal
kick: ? the kick is retaken
END QUOTE


IF the ball did clear the PA boundaries but was blown back the keeper is guilty of a second touch of a free kick and an INDFK awarded to the opposition from where he touched it subject to the special circumstances of the 6 yard goal area.


FIFA QUOTE
If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:
? an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the
infringement occurred inside the goalkeeper?s penalty area, the
kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
(see Law 13 ? Position of Free Kick)
END QUOTE
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You leave out the most important part: did the ball cross over the penalty area boundary line before the wind blew it back to the keeper? If not, the ball was never put into play and we simply take the goal kick over. If the ball WAS put into play, the keeper is not allowed to touch it again before it touches another player. If he touches the ball as you describe, an IDFK is awarded the opponents at the point the keeper touched it unless inside the goal area in which case the kick would take place on the 6 yard line. You should note that the term 'parry' implies control which the keeper did not exert here. Had he allowed the ball to enter the goal, a corner kick would have been awarded the opponents

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Why do so many people insist on playing soccer in a hurricane? Is it just to create these Law teasers? If conditions are so bad that a keeper's kick is blown backwards, perhaps it is better to adjourn and come back to play another day. But if not ...

My colleagues are correct, that if the ball was put into play the goalkeeper has violated the second-touch provision of Law 16. An indirect free kick is given to the opponents, at the point the goalkeeper touched the ball. If that location is inside the goal area, the ball is moved out to the nearest point on the 6 yard line.

If the ball never went into play by crossing outside the penalty area, the restart is a retake of the goal kick.

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