Question Number: 29561

Law 16 - Goal Kick 7/27/2015

RE: Competitive Adult

Dave Dischiavo of Latham, NY USA asks...

Can a player taking a goal kick from thier own goal box turn around and score on their own goal? They would not do this of course; but can they do it legally and score an own goal? If not, who gets the ball and where?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
Law 16 tells us that the ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area. A goal cannot be scored while the ball is not in play. Law 16 also tells us that an own goal cannot be scored directly from a goal kick only against the opponents.
So in your scenarios no goal can be scored and the restart is a retake as the ball was never put into play. The referee may want to understand why such an action was taken and if it was for dissent or to delay the restart in which case disciplinary action could be taken.
In the unusual situation where the ball has left the penalty area and say in a very strong wind the ball is blown back into the goal without touching any other player the referee will restart the game with a corner kick as a goal cannot be scored in this instance. As the ball crossed the goal line last touched by a defender that restart in a corner kick.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. An own goal cannot be scored directly on a goal kick. If the ball never left the penalty area, the restart is another goal kick. If the ball left the penalty area and then returned (usually by a strong wind) into the goal, the restart would be a corner kick.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Dave,
It is written into the LOTG that NO goal can be scored DIRECTLY against your own team off any of your own restarts!

There is a RESTRICTION on a defender's goal kick, in fact on ANY outward bound free kick (DFK or INDFK) originating from inside their own 18 yard PA (penalty area) of which the 6 yard goal area is a part of!

The ball must completely clear the PA boundary lines to be in play. NO player from either team can play that ball until is completely out of the PA and into active play

TO do as you suggest the ball never achieves that ACTIVE PLAY status. Such an action could be considered as delaying the restart, a form of cautionable misconduct, you are shown a yellow card, if one was to do it twice then a red card send off for a 2nd caution reducing your team by a player and guess what?

The restart REMAINS a ...GOAL KICK...!

It is possible in theory for the free/goal kick restart to legally put the ball into play by kicking the ball outside and clearing the boundary lines into the field of play only to have a strong wind blow the ball back into the PA. If the ball was to remain untouched and it crossed the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts as that ball was last touched by a defender the NEW restart is a ...CORNER KICK... !

IF though it was replayed by the kicker it could be an INDFK for a 2nd touch subject to special circumstances within the goal area! One might play advantage if there was reason to!

IF the ball was to be played by anyone other than the kicker and that ball managed to roll/deflect into the goal THEN your restart is now a ...KICK OFF AT CENTRE... because NOW the goal could count!

Cheers