Question Number: 26235

Law 16 - Goal Kick 4/25/2012

RE: friends Adult

Martin of Tokyo, Tokyo Japan asks...

I'm a goalkeeper and I decide to take a short goalkick to one of my defenders, who is in the penalty box but I intend to play the pass in front of him so he can wait until it's outside the box before he touches it.

I take the kick carelessly and the ball is going to an opponent instead.

My defender, still inside the box, deliberately handles the ball to prevent it going to the opponent.

Is this a penalty, or is the goal kick not yet valid, because it hasn't been played outside the penalty box yet?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

As the ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area, there is nothing that can occur to make a free kick of any description take place until the ball leaves the PA.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Martin
The ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area on all kicked restarts taken inside the penalty area that is free kicks and goal kicks.
So a penalty cannot be awarded in your scenario as the ball is not in play and the correct restart is a retake of the goal kick.
By the way many player do not know that a free kick must also leave the penalty area to be in play as per Law 13

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The restart is always to retake the goal kick. The ball was not put into play.
The referee has the option to caution the defender for misconduct.