Question Number: 26589

Law 13 - Free Kicks 8/1/2012

RE: competitive Adult

Mark Williams of 3024 Gardner, Michigan USA asks...

If a ball is restarted inside the penalty area due to foul from offense, off-sides, etc and is not a goal kick does the ball need to clear the penalty area until the defense touches the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mark
On all kicked restarts inside the penalty area the ball must leave the penalty area before it is in play. If a free kick is touched inside the penalty area the kick is retaken.
Many player believe that the Law only applies to goal kicks only yet it equally applies to free kicks. To quote the relevant part of Law 13
'' Free kick inside the penalty area
Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:
# all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
# all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
# the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
# a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point inside that area''

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It does. Many players and coaches wrongly believe that this applies only for a goal kick. Law 13 makes clear that it applies for all free kicks by the defense from inside the PA.

Referees should be kind to players who yell 'it is not a goal kick' when the referee orders the kick retaken. They are about to learn something new.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The ball has to clear the penalty area before it is in play. Ater that anyone may touch it including the defense, but it does not HAVE to be touched by the defense

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The only player who cannot play the ball once it has cleared the PA directly off the free kick is the player who kicked it. That would be a second touch offense, and the restart is the IDFK from where he touched it.