Question Number: 24031

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/27/2010

RE: Grade 8

Mike Bawden of Raleigh, NC USA asks...

Taking of a direct kick. When is it in play?

Situation. A coach had taught his players to take the Rooney/Christiano corner kick a step further. On direct kicks on the field he would have a player stop the ball and put their foot on top of the ball then back away. Another player would come in and just start dribbling the ball. When I blew my whistle for a double touch, the coach yelled the ball had been played. To me the first player was just setting the ball up.

Technically, the coach is right. If in fact the ball is in play when it is touched, then the coach is correct. As a referee, how do I determine when they are setting the ball to be kicked with their foot, or actually playing the ball. If a player sets the ball with his foot and backs away and a defender comes in and kicks the ball, you can't give a defender a caution for DR. But I guarantee you the offense will complain they were just 'setting' the ball up.

What is a good way to determine when the ball is actually played on a direct kick?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves. A player putting his foot on top of the ball is not sufficient to put the ball into play.
The referee is the sole judge whether the ball is put into play properly or not. A yelling coach makes no difference to me and if asked later I will simply say 'I'm sorry I did not see the ball being put into play so I asked for it again'

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

USSF has given the instruction that 'moves' means 'from here to there'.

Just like with the trick corner kick play, players trying this may be too tricky for the referee. If the ref doesn't see the first touch, or doesn't think the ball moved a discernable distance, then the team will be called for a second-touch.

Advice to Referees has this to say:
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13.5 THE BALL IN PLAY

The ball is in play (able to be played by an attacker other than the kicker or by an opponent) when it has been kicked and moved. The distance to be moved is minimal and the "kick" need only be a touch of the ball with the foot in a kicking motion or being dragged with the top or bottom of the foot. Simply tapping the top of the ball with the foot or stepping on the ball are not sufficient.

When the restart of play is based on the ball being kicked and moved, the referee must ensure that the ball is indeed kicked (touched with the foot in a kicking or dragging motion) and moved (caused to go from one place to another). The referee must make the final decision on what is and is not "kicked and moved" based on the spirit and flow of the match.

The referee must judge carefully whether any particular kick of the ball and subsequent movement was indeed reasonably taken with the intention of putting the ball into play rather than with the intention merely to position the ball for the restart. If the ball is just being repositioned (even if the foot is used to do this), play has not been restarted. Likewise, referees should not unfairly punish for "failing to respect the required distance" when an opponent was clearly confused by a touch and movement of the ball which was not a restart.

The referee must make the final decision on what is a "kick" and what is "not a kick" based on his or her feeling for the game-what FIFA calls "Fingerspitzengef?hl" (literally: "sensing with one's fingertips").
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Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Technically, the coach was NOT correct. The referee needs to decide if the ball was KICKED and moves, based on a feel for the game. Your decision about whether the player was simply positioning the ball or was kicking it the only one that counts.

Note: the coach forgot that even the Ronaldo/Rooney example resulted in the referee calling the double touch.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Mike, where and when were you taught that this coach is correct that the ball is in play when it has been touched. It's always been the ball is in play when it has been kicked and moved. The interpretation of what constitutes kicked and moved has changed but USSF has made it clear that tapping the ball on the top with the bottom of your shoe does not constitute kicked and moved. If you are not keeping up with current Advice To Referees this should at least have been gone over at your recertification a few years ago. From the current Advice:

13.5 THE BALL IN PLAY The ball is in play (able to be played by an attacker other than the kicker or by an opponent) when it has been kicked and moved. The distance to be moved is minimal and the "kick" need only be a touch of the ball with the foot in a kicking motion or being dragged with the top or bottom of the foot. Simply tapping the top of the ball with the foot or stepping on the ball are not sufficient. When the restart of play is based on the ball being kicked and moved, the referee must ensure that the ball is indeed kicked (touched with the foot in a kicking or dragging motion) and moved (caused to go from one place to another).