Question Number: 28905

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 10/26/2014

RE: Rec, Select, Competive, Under 19

Chris of Folsom, Ca Sacramento asks...

This question is a follow up to question 28889

If the ball was for a throw in and the ref stopped play to attend to the injured, the restart will be a throw-in. Why can't the goalie be allowed to punt the ball since he/she had the ball when stopped by the ref?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
The restart depends on when and how play was stopped. If the ball is out of play when the referee stops play the restart does not change. So if it a throw in restart then that is how play continues . If the referee has to stop play then the restart is a dropped ball. The method of the dropped ball restart is specified in law. Any change from that needs the agreement of both teams such as a no contest fair play restart.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Chris,

The difference is that when the keeper is holding the ball, the ball is still in play.

To demonstrate this, imagine that the keeper made a save after a corner, and is holding the ball while the players are running out. All game a defender and a striker have been antagonising each other, and as they're running out (still inside the penalty area), the defender loses his temper and elbows the striker in the face.

Because the ball is in play still, you'd award a penalty kick. If, however, the ball had gone out for a goal kick before this happened, you'd still restart with the goal kick.

But as a referee, when there is a drop ball you can drop the ball at the goalkeeper's feet and he can then handle it like normal. While you can't prevent an attacker from participating, you can always drop the ball before the attacking team has the chance to even think about contesting!

It's generally preferable to have the keeper release the ball first, if possible - you want to try to avoid any possibility of a contested drop ball just in front of the goal - while you can do thinks to manipulate the drop ball (like I just suggested), if an attacker is already there ready to go you can't avoid him participating.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Chris,
If this was a high school game, and the goalkeeper is holding the ball and there is a stoppage for an injury, play would be restarted with an indirect kick by the goalkeeper's team from the spot of the ball at the time of the stoppage, because in high school if there is a stoppage for an injury or an unusual situation, and a team is in clear possession of the ball, that team will get an indirect kick from the spot of the ball at the time of stoppage. (Rule 13-2-3b). To answer your question, the difference between the throw in and the indirect kick is that the ball is not in play during a throw-in, but it is when the goalkeeper is holding it.