Question Number: 26690

Law 5 - The Referee 8/27/2012

RE: Top amateur Adult

Fred of Utrecht, Utrecht Netyerlands asks...

A defender takes a indirect free kick just outside the penalty area. He kicks te bal te second time in his own goal. Can you play advantage and give the opposite team a goal?

Advantage can be given at al times when there is a foul. But scoring a goal from a indirect free kick is not possible because there is no second player involved.

The Dutch FA asked this question at FIFA and the answer was goal.

Strange dontbyou think.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Most of us have assumed that, for purpose of law 13, 'the ball must touch ANOTHER player' means the ball must touch a DIFFERENT player.

But, the current interpretation appears to be without a second touch of the ball by ANY player. Similarly, the latest change to TLOG on a dropped ball (a goal cannot be scored directly) has been interpreted similarly to the answer you indicate was given in this situation.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Fred
Older referees will know that there was a time when advantage could only be played on Law 12 offences.
The modern Laws allow discretion to the referee to play advantage where he deems it appropriate so FIFA's reply is not strange
So the on field application can allow advantage on a Law 13 infringement. An example would be a player kicks an indirect free kick and then to prevent an opponent gaining possession of the ball kicks it again rebounding off the opponent into the goal. The referee must award a goal. It is still a double touch infringement yet advantage can and should be played.
Another example is where a goalkeeper takes a goal kick. The ball leaves the penalty area but is blown back toward the goal. The goalkeeper touches the ball for a 2nd time but the ball continues into the goal. Advantage should be played and a goal awarded.
If we then look at your scenario I see no reason why the referee would allow a clear breach of the Law to go unpunished based on the intent of player whether the free kick was direct or indirect.
If however a player toe pokes the ball a foot or so to reposition the ball and then kicks it back to the goalkeeper with it entering the goal the referee might deem that the ball was not put into play properly with the ball moving and ask for a retake or that he could deem the 2nd kick as the one that put the ball into play and go with the corner kick.
The referee has to make the 'best' decision for the game based on the circumstances. I might add that an own goal from a restart is quite rare and even more so on a double touch infringement. Its not a scenario that is going to 'test' referees too often if at all.