Question Number: 23132

Law 16 - Goal Kick 4/17/2010

RE: Recreational Adult

Tom Wiseman of Grayslake, IL USA asks...

Pretty basic question " who can be in the penalty area at the taking of a goal kick? I have always played that anyone on the team taking the kick can be in the area at the taking of the kick but cannot touch the kicked ball until it leaves the area. The rules seems to agree they mention "opponents remain outside the area until the ball is in play". Today I was coaching and the referee excluded everyone from the box except the kicker and keeper. I mentioned that defenders are allowed in the box, he disagreed. After the game I talked to another referee and he agreed with the referee on the field. Am I the only referee that allows defenders to be in the box at the time of the kick? Have I being doing it wrong for the past couple decades?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Wiseman
The referee is incorrect and your interpretation is spot on. The defending team has no restriction as to the number of players inside the penalty area but all opponents must be outside until the ball leaves the PA. Nowhere in the Law does it restrict the number of players from the defending team along with the goalkeeper. Indeed on a quick goal kick it is not necessary for attackers to be clear of the PA for the goal kick to be allowed to continue.
As the ball cannot be played until it leaves the penalty area it probably makes no sense for the defending team to have extra players inside the PA. But that is a choice that the defending team makes.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Sigh. More ignorant referees! Please report them to the local assignor, and ask that they be educated by someone they will listen to.

Unfortunately, referees watch games, and see that normally only a kicker and/or the keeper are in the PA during a goal kick or free kick for the defense, and figure that ERGO! that must be the way it has to be. Heaven forbid they should actually read the letter of the Law, which as you so correctly note, states only that the opposing players must be outside of the PA.

Which is another way of saying that the defenders can be anywhere on the field they want to be. Is inside the PA a smart place for them to be on a free kick or goal kick? Probably not, but that isn't the referee's concern (or shouldn't be!!!).

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

See Question: 23150