Question Number: 22396

Law 16 - Goal Kick 10/30/2009

RE: Rec Adult

Edgar Hulatt of Calgary, Canada asks...

In the second half of a U14G game the losing team is applying continuous pressure and there are quite a number of goal kicks. Regardless of which side the ball goes out the keeper retrieves the ball, walks back onto the pitch on the side the ball went out, and then always walked over to the other side of the goal area to place the ball for the
kick. This happened about 10 times. Can this be considered time wasting and should the referee add additional time? I'm aware the keeper can take the goal kick from anywhere in the area but it seemed this was a deliberate time wasting ploy that had been coached.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The referee certainly may add time for this. Indeed, one way to see is something is a tactic is to announce loudly that you will add time for the delay and then watch to see how the tactic changes. Nothing disrupts a strategy to waste time like a referee's willingess to add time.

As longer as the keeper is moving quickly to put the ball into play, I'm not sure that this is misconduct. But, it can cause ill feelings among the losing side, and needs to be managed. Even shouting, 'hurry up keeper' will let everyone know you are alert to the issue.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Hulatt
Yes time can be added on for this and I would be gesturing/calling to the keeper 'Hurry up please Keeper' ' Please can you speed it up keeper'. If he was going to the one side every time I would be a bit more lenient on that one as he may have a kicking style that suits one side.
If the call and gesture gets the desired response then no problem. If it does not then I always approach the keeper and have a quiet word
' Keeper I want you to speed up taking the goal kicks. I am adding on time for this so there is no advantage to your team in delaying. Do I make myself clear. Please don't have me speak to you again'. Next time a caution.
I had one at the weekend and the keeper was 'slow' on goal kicks. His team makes a substitution and when it is completed he was not ready. I had strong words with him, told him it was unacceptable. It did not happen again as he knew a caution was a certainty.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Edgar, the referee does have discretionary powers to add time for time wasting. The action you describe could be considered as such but it really depends on how fast the keeper was moving. The LOTG allow him to take the goal kick from any part of the goal area and he has the right to place the ball on the other side of the goal araea each and every time he places the ball for a goal kick. It may be annoying to the opponents and the referee but it is not illegal.
There is no point in telling the keeper to speed up the process if he is walking at a brisk or normal pace. However if the pace is slow and makes a meal of the process, I sometimes say to the players; 'You are on your own time, take your time!' with my right hand on my left wrist indicating that time has been stopped. This action seems to appease the opponents and conveys the perpetrators that I am onto them.
Another common trick is to place the ball for a goal kick and then picking it up and moving to it the other side of the goal area. I have booked players for this action.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'll disagree slightly. Once the keeper has placed the ball on the ground, he may not pick it up and move it. USSF has already ruled this is to be considered time wasting. From the current Advice:

16.5 TIME WASTING BY THE KICKING TEAM
Upon being awarded a goal kick, the defending team wastes time if the ball is clearly placed within the
goal area in preparation for the restart and then is moved unnecessarily to another location. The referee
may caution and show the yellow card for either persistent infringement or delaying the restart of play
in situations where the offense is committed a second time by the same team after a warning is given.

That said, you are Canadian and do not have to abide by this. Also, the question is unclear whether the keeper put the ball down and then moved it