Question Number: 25394

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/5/2011

RE: Under 19

Steven of Sydney, Nsw Australia asks...

If a IDFK is award inside the penalty area and and it is taken n kicked directly toward goal hitting a defender on her line who deliberately handles the ball is this DOGSO ? Cause if she didn't touch it it would just have been a goal kick ...

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You don't say who is taking the free kick. Assuming it was the attackers it is not denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) because as you say, there was no possible goal to deny. It would be a penalty kick restart. Alternatively, the referee could apply advantage and it would be a goal if the ball ended up in the net despite the handling. Either way, a rather stupid thing for the defender to do, as it potentially changes the game dramatically.

But if it was a free kick to the defending team, it is not DOGSO for two reasons:
- A goal cannot be scored directly on any free kick, so there is no goal to be denied
- The ball was never in play, because it never left the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The question for the referee in this situation is whether a goal would have been scored absent the deliberate handling of the ball. Unless the ball first hit some other part of the player (or touched another player) before the handling, the answer is no - - -no goal would have been scored but for the handling. Award the penalty kick, but do not send off the defender.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steven
A goal cannot be scored directly from an IDFK so a goal cannot be denied. The referee awards a penalty kick and the player must not be dismissed. In fact I believe it is not even a caution as it is not tactical to prevent an opponent gaining possession.