Question Number: 30235

Law 16 - Goal Kick 4/3/2016

RE: Competitive Under 15

Vicki Hayward of Nottingham , UK asks...

If a goal keeper takes a goal kick, off the floor, but it doesn't leave the area before one of her own players touches it, what does the ref award? Our ref took it to be similar to a throw in that doesn't go into play and let the keeper take the goal kick again.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Vicki,
Good on the referee for the retake as the correct procedure but the throw in analogy does not truly fit!

The ball, on ANY defending free kick be it a goal kick a DFK or INDFK must COMPLETELY leave the penalty area into the FOP to be declared in play! A the ball has NOT left the ONLY recourse under the LOTG is a retake.

On a throw in IF the ball is CORRECTLY taken and that ball did not enter the FOP a retake under FIFA LOTG could occur but if the throw in was incorrectly taken THAT would not matter and the ball turned over to the opposing team! On a Goal kick it will always be a retake with a faint possibility of cautions if the reasoning the ball does not leave was of a tactical or time delaying measure rather than a miss kick or weather conditions.

In USA high-school I believe the throw in goes to the other team regardless as the thinking is it is a simple restart just get it right or let the other guys do it!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The ball must leave the penalty area before it is in play. If it is touched before that, it was never in play so the restart must be (re)taken.

If it appears that the ball was touched too early to force the the retake, the ref might consider if it was deliberately wasting time. That would be liable for a caution. But those would be rare circumstances. A simple mistake of getting the ball too soon is not a caution. Doing it again and again - um, that looks like a strategy, let's stop it.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Vicki
The referee was correct here. If the ball is touched inside the penalty area by any player it is a retake. That also applies to free kicks taken inside the penalty area by the defending team.