Question Number: 23980

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/20/2010

RE: Competitive Other

Russ Robitaille of Manchester, Ct USA asks...

Law 13 indicates:
'Free kick taken by a player other than the goalkeeper. If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched another player an IDK is awarded to the opposing team'. I'm puzzled by how this might differ if the kick were taken by the goalkeeper? Is the GK allowed to kick it and then pick it up after 10 yards?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

On the next page of Law 13 you will see a section of infractions when the goalkeeper is taking the free kick. There is no difference if the goalkeeper or any other player touches the ball a second time not using his hands.

The difference is if the second touch is also handling. For any other player, that results in a direct free kick for the handling, not an indirect free kick for the second touch. But if the second touch was handling by the goalkeeper inside the penalty area, the restart is an IFK for the second touch. (This is an unlikely circumstance, but IFAB felt compelled to cover all possibilites on this one.)

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Russ, this little quirk is talking about a windy day. No player can touch (play) the ball twice after a free kick of any kind. IFAB found a kind of clumsy way to talk about what happens when the ball is blown back into the penalty area (PA).
Actually there is another way the ball can end up in the PA: it can hit the ref and bounce back. It can also bounce back after hitting the assistant referee, who was standing in the touch line and the ball did not go out of the field of play.
So relax, defender or goalie taking a goal kick cannot touch the ball the second time.