Question Number: 22268

Law 16 - Goal Kick 10/17/2009

RE: Rec Under 17

Garry Racette of Los Osos, CA USA asks...

Team A is awarded a Goal Kick.
Team B pulls all defenders to midfield leaving open space to the Keeper.
Team A forward is in team B half of the pitch (past midfield closer to the goal than the 2nd to last defender).
Team A Keeper gets a huge kick which sends the ball into Team B half of the pitch to the forward from team A which would normally have been in an offside position on any other kick.
Is he OFFSIDE?
The law doesn't stipulate the Goal Kick as having to be from the opposing teams keeper as one of the 3 times you're not OFFSIDE. I treated it the same as a long throw-in from your half of the pitch into the opposing side of the pitch with nobody between the forward and the Keeper.
When it says Goal Kick, does it mean the opposing team Keeper takes the goal kick only?
The keeper was a U-10 with a long ball kick.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

You can't possibly be guilty of an offside infringement when the opposing team's keeper takes the goal kick because the ball needs to be touched or played by a member of your own team; you cannot be offside if it's the opposition playing the ball. Naturally if that goal kick falls to an opponent of the goalkeeper and then to a teammate of that player offside may well be possible.

The laws of the game state that you cannot be offside from a goal kick; as you cannot be offside in any case when it's an opponent restarting play it becomes apparent that it's talking about a goal kick from your own team, not the opposition.

Also remember that in terms of throw ins, it doesn't matter which half of the pitch the throw is taken from - you still cannot be offside directly from a throw in.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

NOT OFFSIDE!
GOAL KICK, throw in and corner kick are all exempt from offside!
The team-mate is free to accept the ball either directly from the goal kick or by any deflection of the ball off any opponent anywhere on the field.
The GOAL kick is a stationary kick RESTART taken within the 6 yard goal area resulting from the opposition putting the ball out of play over the opposing team's goal line.
Any team-mate, including the keeper is permitted to take the goal kick.

A kick or a punt by the keeper from his goal or penalty area in LIVE play is NOT exempt from offside!

The location of a throw-in plays no part in the exemption equation! Whether or not a ball travels over the midline or is deep inside the opposition territory already, ANY teammate can receive the ball directly from the throw-in or by any deflection of the ball off any opponent. Any team-mate including the keeper is permitted to take the throw-in!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

NO offside directly from a goal kick, no matter which teammate takes the goal kick.

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

See Question: 29112