Question Number: 21048

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 3/27/2009

RE: Rec Adult

Lisa Young of Toronto, Ontario Canada asks...

If the goalie is holding the ball, and steps off the end line (but the ball remains hovering 'over the field') is the ball still in play, or is a corner kick awarded?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A ball is not out of play until it completely crosses one of the field boundary lines, either on the ground or in the air. As you said the ball was hovering over the field, play continues on without a stoppage. Only if the keeper carries the ball completely over the line would it be a corner kick - or a kickoff following the goal if she should be so unfortunate to do it between the goalposts!

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The goalkeeper can be standing on the goal line between her goal posts and preparing to throw the ball. When she winds up, the ball goes into the goal, all the way over the line, even though it is still in her hands. This is a goal. Note it had nothing to do with where the goalkeeper was, only where the ball was.

Conversely, if she is standing inside the goal net, but her hands are holding the ball over the goal line (some part of the ball is touching some part of the plane of the line) the ball is still in play, even though 98% of the goalkeeper is off the field.

As Ref Voshol notes, it is the position of the ball that matters here, not the position of the goalkeeper.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Goal lines (width) and touch lines (length) are the 5 inch boundary lines that act as invisible walls that surround the soccer pitch reaching up into the sky. The ball as a 27 inch round object must not be in contact with those lines to be into TOUCH. That is outside the field! If any portion of the ball touches or breaks that 5 inch boundary plane that ball is INSIDE the field! The body position of the player/keeper could be outside or inside it has NO impact on the determining factor which is: WHERE IS THE BALL in RELATIONSHIP to the BOUNDARY LINES?
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It's the position of the ball that counts. All the boundary lines are part of the field they enclose so for the ball to be outside any specific part of the field, all of the ball must be completely over all of the line.