Question Number: 26025

Law 13 - Free Kicks 3/3/2012

RE: competitive Adult

OLADANNY of Belize city, Belize BELIZE asks...

can a player score a goal from a fair play?
can a player kick a free kick ball twice?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Coach:

If one team does a sporting return of the ball after play is stopped for an injury, the ball is in play as soon as it is kicked and moves. If someone on the other team intercepts the ball and scores a goal, it is valid (though unsporting). The referee does not have the power to disallow the goal.

What most would expect, however, is that on the next kick off, the team that should not have scored a goal that way will allow the other team to score a goal without interference. That would restore the balance. Again, however, nothing in the laws requires this. IFAB has considered and rejected changes to the laws that would incorporate the sporting tradition. I suspect the issue will keep arising until they do.

NEWS FLASH: IFAB just announced a new change. A goal cannot be scored directly from a dropped ball. This will prevent the issue when a sporting return is kicked directly into the opponent's goal.

Double touch. At a free kick, the kicker may not touch the ball a second time until it touches another player.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
The whole basis behind a fair play restart is that one team decides to give the ball back to the opponents and that is done without contest. It then goes against that spirit of fair play when a goal results. Most times it is in error and as the ball is in play the Laws do not allow for any remedy. Teams usually correct the error by allowing an unchallenged goal.
IFAB the law making body has an item on its agenda for its AGM this month which proposes that a goal cannot be scored directly from a Fiar Play restart. If that is passed at the meeting it will become Law next season.
As regards a free kick a player may not touch the ball twice. It is an offence and the restart is an indirect free kick.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If the play is fair, and there is no offside offense or other infringement of the Laws, then the goal will count - assuming time has not expired.

The player who puts the ball into play from a free kick may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player, either team.