Question Number: 24629

Law 16 - Goal Kick 2/28/2011

RE: Adult

Ronnie of Miami, Florida USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24328

On a goal kick the golie hit the ball and a forwarder who was outside the penalty area, runs inside the area an score a goal, is the goal valid?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ronnie
The ball must leave the penalty area for it to be in play. So if the attacker runs into the penalty area touching the ball inside the penalty area the goal is disallowed and play is restarted with a retake of the goalkick. Same procedure applies to defenders who must wait for the ball to leave the penalty area for it to be in play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You say the forward was outside the penalty area. Was he outside of the penalty area when he received the ball and THEN ran with it into the penalty area with the ball or was he outside of the penalty area when the ball was kicked but went into the penalty area and received the ball? In the first case, it's a goal. In the second the ball was never in play as it didn't leave the penalty area so the goal kick must be retaken

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Ronnie, here is the only thing that you have to remember: on a goal kick or ANY free kick by the defenders in their penalty area (PA), the ball is not in play until it leaves the PA and the attacking team must stay outside the PA until the ball is in play.
Now you can decide yourself if the goal was valid or not.
Here is a typical example: On a goal kick, the goalie decides to kick it to his fullback to the side of the PA. The attacker, standing on the top of the PA, sees what happens and immediately starts running towards the fullback, entering the PA before the ball has left the PA. If you said retake the GK because the ball was not in play, you're bang on!