Question Number: 24603

Law 17 - Corner Kick 2/21/2011

RE: AYSO Under 15

Rajan of Van Nuys, California usa asks...

Prior to the start of GU14 game the coach of Team A came to me and explained that Team B uses a tactic that he thought was unfair or illegal.
Team A coach informed from that from previous games against Team B the attacker/attackers of Team B stand close to the keeper of Team A in a direct line between the keeper and the kicker of Team B who is taking a corner kick.
The Team B attacker/attackers then jump up and down in an effort to distract the keeper, creating a screen as the ball is delivered from the corner kick.
While this situation did not present itself during the game, I thought that unless the attacker/attackers interfered with the keepers attempt at the ball or made some type of physical contact with the keeper, that this Team B tactic is legal. Please advise.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Rajan
You are indeed correct. It is not an offence to screen the view of a player at a restart nor is it an offence to jump up and down provided as you say that the player does not impede the movement of the opponent either through contact or otherwise. This will be plainly obvious as the player will make no attempt to play the ball but simply step into the path of the player. If there is contact it is deemed to be holding while if there is no contact it is impeding.

Referees should manage these situations very carefully and speak to players about contact/pushing/impeding before the corner kick is taken.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It is an offence to restrict the movement of the goalkeeper by unfairly impeding him, e.g. at the taking of a corner kick. Impeding, however requires: (1) movement by a defender; (2) that interferes with an opponent's progress; (3) when the ball is not within playing distance).

Standing in front of the keeper is normal and proper. Once the player begins jumping up and down, however, the referee must determine if this movement is restricting the keeper's movement. If so, it is an impeding foul.

Even if it is not impeding, however, the referee should keep a close eye. Lots of players congregate in the goal mouth during corner kicks. Players are very protective of their keeper. If the defenders judge the conduct unfair, they may retaliate. Corner kicks are good opportunities for proactive refereeing.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Contact does not have to be made. That's a myth. an opponent shadowing a keeper with no attempt to even pay attention to the ball is probably impeding the progress of the keeper which is an IDFK foul once the ball is in play. Referees should be proactive and stop this behavior before the ball is put in play

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Every player is entitled to his space on the field and this is as true at corner kicks as at any other time. What they are not allowed to do is to impede or obstruct the path of another player who is trying to play the ball or move into position to play the ball. (This assumes the player is not moving through the other player!)

Generally it is easy to tell if the attacking players are intent on impeding the keeper. If they place themselves directly in front of or around him - one will observe when the ball is kicked that they are not watching the ball at all. Instead they are focused on the keeper and keeping the keeper from the ball. That is not allowed and is at a minimum an IDFK for impeding and can also be a DFK for holding or pushing or charging.

In my own experience watching the opposing players around the keeper on the first corner kicks and then dealing promptly with any misbehavior as soon as the kick was taken (if done while the ball is in play the defense has the kick) - made this behavior go away. It was no longer getting them what they wanted which was an unfair advantage.

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

See Question: 24661