Question Number: 28415

Law 16 - Goal Kick 5/11/2014

RE: Professional Goalkeeper Coach Professional

James Thomson of St. Johnstone, Scotland asks...

This question is a follow up to question 28339

These answers are complete crap and 100 percent wrong. There is nothing in the laws that says a goal kick must be stationary, period, and any ref. who says otherwise is making things up and/or repeating an old wives' tale. The fact is, a goal kick is NOT a free kick, and I defy anyone to show me where in the laws it says it is. The absolutely laughable line that the laws omit things 'that everyone knows' is one if the most absurd and surreal things I've heard. The fact is: the laws say not a word about the ball being stationary on a goal kick, so therefore there is NO RULE against it. End of story.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi James
Are your seriously saying that it is okay for a ball to be punted at a goal kick with a drop kick!!
The Goal Kick has it own Law 16. At one time both goal kicks and corner kicks were part of the same Law and the goal kick had to be taken from the side of the goal area where it left the field of play. Law 16 now states that '' The ball is kicked from any point within the goal area by a player of the defending team''
That point does not means in air or while it is rolling.
Whether you like it or not all referees will have a rolling ball goal kick retaken. If the movement is indiscernible then the referee may let it slide as trifling.
By the way there are plenty other matters in the Laws of the game that are not spelt out and it is left to tacit knowledge and that the principle that all kicked restarts the ball has to be stationary so why should a goal kick be any different.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

James,

Several decades ago the laws were a far more complex document which covered many things in great detail. They were then simplified - this meant a lot of things were left out of the text. Many things are a combination of the text of the law, the intent or spirit of the law, and simple convention.

You're correct that the laws don't say that the ball needs to be stationary for a goal kick. Incidentally, the laws also don't say that a player who has been sent off cannot return to the field of play. But everybody knows that to be the case.

That's the most obvious example; there are several other places where the laws don't say what they mean.

If we took your approach then we'd allow a goalkeeper to punt the ball at a goal kick. I'm sure even you would agree that's absurd and it's not what FIFA are wanting to achieve with a goal kick.

Even without that, you'd be allowing a player to pass the ball hard to the keeper so he can kick it further with the advantage of momentum. Also a ridiculous proposition, I'm sure you'd agree.

Given that interpreting the law as allowing the ball to move is, given the above examples, clearly against the purpose of what the goal kick restart is supposed to be (and is also against convention), the only logical answer is to look at other similar parts of the law. In every other aspect of the law, a kicked restart requires the ball to be stationary. Thus, it's reasonable to extend that here.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Well, coach, at least you are convinced you are correct.
So, please consider the following: as you watch the world cup this summer, please write back if a goal kick is allowed to proceed while the ball is rolling - - - even once.

Take a look at law 17 - the corner kick. The word 'stationary' isn't there either. I suspect that we also won't see any corner kick's allowed to proceed while the ball is rolling.

And, then at law 14 - the penalty kick. It's not there either. Rolling the ball toward the penalty mark and kicking it must be legal?

It would be easier for all of us if everything we need to understand TLOG was written in the law book. But, IFAB doesn't act that way.