Question Number: 29848

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/24/2015

RE: Adult

Robert Watson of Sechelt, BC Canada asks...

Law 13 notes regarding indirect free kicks that the ball is in play once it is 'kicked and moves'. I've see quite a variety of interpretations - some players will step on the ball (essentially compressing or squeezing the ball) before a second player strikes the ball. Others may simply do a 'sole slide' with their soccer boot before a second player's touch. Some insist the ball has to actually move off of it's original stationary placement to constitute 'moves' (loosely insisting on a complete revolution of the ball). What's the generally accepted rule on interpretation of 'kicked and moves'?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Robert
Player and the referee need to know when the ball is in play at a kicked restart. Older referees recall when the ball had to travel a full revolution to be in play. That was then replaced by kicked and moved in the great rewrite of 1997. The principle is that there has to be a noticeable movement of the ball. Stepping on the ball is not a kick nor is a tap on top. The ball does not move with those actions. That is totally different from a sole slide which is a kick with the bottom if the foot and the ball does move significantly after the foot is released.
Now individual referees may decide that the tap is sufficient enough for the ball to discernibly move in which case it is in play. If the opponents see the action and also interpret that action as putting the ball in play then the referee may go with that. In my game yesterday a player tapped the ball at a kick off and the ball moved ever so slightly. The opponents decided that the ball was in play and reacted accordingly. It would have made little sense to bring play back to redo the kick off.
Where it can cause problems is in situation where players use the foot to position the ball or their is some feint at the free kick.
Have a look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46pnEQXfIu8
Clearly the ball was not touched. Now IMO had the ball been even tapped / stood on the referee would not have had to deal with the furore that ensued.
Notice the reaction of the two players in the defensive wall. Neither react to the lack of touch until the goal was scored. I suspect what happened was that the AR was looking for offside and the CR was busy looking for fouls in the penalty area and that coupled with Red 18 pursuing the scorer the referee assumed incorrectly that the ball was touched.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Robert,
the referee has to be convinced he has witnessed the ball move from here to there, point A to point B! A step on to squish the ball, a tap where the ball wobbles or a sole slide where the foot remains on the ball its whole distance then stops the ball dead and takes the foot away is in, MY opinion, not a true kicking motion. The issue is a distinction of when are they repositioning the ball using the feet instead of the hands so we are not confused the ball is actually not being kicked into play. A referee should be easily able to tell what is going on! The tricky corners, or DFK or staged INDFK distraction kicks requiring a raised hand to drop upon the ball being put into play on the 2nd touch should be apparent not a mystery. That said how strict I would be might depend on how the kick occurs and the two teams willingness to see the ball in play . There is nothing wrong with kicking the ball gently, a soft tap, push or drag with the sole or side or toe or heel or a scoop into the air as long as it obvious the ball is being put into play as it rolls away from the foot . I want to see the ball roll or go to somewhere not resettle in its same spot!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

There needs to be some visible movement of the ball. For some referees, it needs to actually roll. Some referee will interpret the law as a wobble being sufficient. I can see how the law can be read either way - personally, I believe 'kicked and moves' means that a wobble is sufficient.

If the tap on the ball doesn't move the ball, then it's not in play - allow the kick to continue, just consider that it's the second touch that puts it in play.

As for a roll under the foot - again, I would interpret the law as saying that the ball needs to be moving after the foot has been released. ie if the player moves the ball under his foot, then stops his foot and the ball stops, the ball is not in play.