Question Number: 28485

Law 16 - Goal Kick 6/9/2014

RE: Select Adult

Babak of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

A goalkeeper takes a goal-kick and the ball passes out of the penalty area into play but is blown back by a strong wind without any other player having touched it. Though the goal keeper touches the ball with his hand, it still enters the goal. What decision does the referee give? (I am told this is different to a throw-in scenario where advantage is applied. In the case of a goal-kick, my referee coach says, will only attract an INDFK).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Babak
As the ball has been put into play and the referee can play advantage here then the goal is awarded. The goalkeeper if he knows the law that an own goal cannot be scored here could allow the ball to enter the goal and the restart is a corner kick.
Playing advantage on a double touch infringement is extremely rare yet the principle is that advantage can be played on any offence not just Law 12 when it benefits the offended against team. Your coach's advice here is dated and goes back to the days when advantage was only played on Law 12. It is still the most used form of advantage yet it does apply to every other offence now. I can't ever recall playing advantage on a double touch as when it does happen the benefit rarely goes to the offended against team.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The Laws state that 'a goal may be scored directly from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team'.

So had the keeper not touched the ball, the restart would be a corner kick. Because he touched it again it's no longer 'directly' (it's the touch that matters, not whether a second player touched it. For proof, consider that the wording around an indirect free kick is different and actually specifies a second player). Therefore, you'd apply advantage and award the goal.

It doesn't make a difference if the keeper touches the ball with his feet or his hands.

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