Question Number: 25866

Law 18 - Common Sense 1/2/2012

RE: YMCA Rec. Under 14

Chris Leng of Lexington, KY United States asks...

Is it a goal, when one goalie collects the ball within their own penalty box, and punts it out and it goes into the opponents goal without it touching any other players?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
Yes perfectly good goal. Indeed if the goalkeeper could throw the ball the length of the field that would be a perfectly good goal as well.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are only certain restarts where another player must touch the ball before a goal can be scored:
- an indirect free kick
- a throw-in
- an own goal from any restart (*)

The goalkeeper saving and distributing the ball is not a restart; it is merely a continuation of play. Thus there is no restriction on scoring a goal.

Note that some small-sided U-Little rules prohibit the goalkeeper from kicking the ball 'too far', typically across the half line on the fly or from penalty area to penalty area. That shouldn't apply at U14.

(*) - At a dropped ball the ref actually puts the ball into play, not a player. A goal may be scored from the first touch at a dropped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Chris, think about it for a moment. When the keeper has the ball in her hands, ready to punt, is the ball in play? Yes. Is the keeper playing legally by punting the ball? Yes. If this ball, which is in play, and which is legally punted by the keeper, flies to the other end of the field and into the opposing goal, has it entered the goal legally? Well, it got there legally, so there is no reason that a goal could be denied, because no Law has been broken.