Question Number: 27949

Law 16 - Goal Kick 10/28/2013

RE: High School

Mike Bawden of Raleigh, NC USA asks...

Rule 16.

States all opponents must clear the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Situation. The team taking the kick wishes to play the ball quickly before everyone has a chance to clear.

Situation. Ball is intercepted by opponent outside the penalty area and passed to a person that had not cleared the penalty area at the time of the kick. They are NOT offside because some defenders had not cleared as well because the kick was taken quickly.

What is the rule and where is the restart if there is one?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
There is no offence here as the ball is in play when it exits the penalty area. Once the defending team decides to take a quick kick with the referee allowing that to happen the kicking team must accept the outcome once the ball leaves the penalty area and is in play.
The same decision would apply to a FIFA / USSF game under the Laws of the Game.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Your experience shows why it is usually a good idea for the referee to hold up the goal kick if an opponent is still in the penalty area. As with free kicks restarts, however, when the kicking team elects to take a quick kick (even though the opponent had not retreated the full distance), the kicking team cannot complain later if the play goes awry.

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