Question Number: 25729

Law 13 - Free Kicks 11/9/2011

RE: competive Under 19

Luis Barranco of San Leandro, ca usa asks...

On a direct kick or indirect kick the defending players are to be back 10 feet. Does the player kicking the ball have to ask for 10 feet or do I enforce it?

Also they can only move forward after I blow the whistle?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Defenders must attempt to move at least 10 yards away from the site of the free kick. They are required to do so; the attackers do not have to request them to do so.

The referee has several tools to use when the defenders fail to move 10 yards. If a player moves in from a distance to stand very near the ball, I will caution that immediately. If a defender is simply slow to move away or makes some good-faith effort to get to 10 yards (say he estimates that 8 yards is 10), I'll probably let it go unless the attacker asks for my intervention. If players consistently set up too close, even after they have been moved back several times and have been warned, a caution is again in order.

Once the distance is obtained, the defenders must stay at least that far away until the ball is put into play - kicked and moves. Blowing the whistle does not mean they can move closer. It only signals that the attacker may take the kick.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Luis
Each free kick is different so the referee has to decide based on the actual circumstances. For instance an opponent is standing close to the ball and the kicker passes the ball sideways to a team mate in space. Referee simply allows play to continue.
A foul is awarded outside the penalty area and the kicker sees an opportunity to have a shot which comes off then the referee allows play to continue.
Now there will be situations where the defender move so as to prevent the kick from being taken. The referee has to intervene in these situations by either cautioning the player for delaying the restart or by getting the players back 10 yards from the ball. Once that process starts the free kick is then taken on the referee's whistle. The difficult one is the taker's aimless deliberate kick of the ball at an opponent close to the ball with the sole intention of earning the opponent a caution. That IMO is not a caution although one can argue that the player should not be there. However a warning is suffice for me and a repeat results in a caution.
Defending players may not encroach towards the ball until after it is kicked. The whistle is just the signal that it can be taken.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It's 10 yards not 10 feet which I'm sure you already know.

The 10 yards are required to be given. No one has to ask for them and you should punish defenders that do not give them if it is blatant (for example standing right in front of the ball).

Once asked or once you intervene you must make sure everyone knows the kick has now become ceremonial and everyone must wait for your whistle before the kick is taken. However, the defenders must not encroach on the ball until it is kicked. Your whistle simply tells the attacking team they may proceed but the defenders still must wait for the kick before they move closer than 10 yards.