Question Number: 30658

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 8/9/2016

RE: Competitive Under 13

Sam of Santa Clara, CA USA asks...

In the new laws, it says that it has to at least touch two players in order for it to be a legal goal if it enters the goal, from a dropped ball. If a player takes the ball from a dropped ball and dribbled it and shoots and scores, is that still a legal goal?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sam
There was an anomaly in the previous dropped ball restart law where at a Fair Play restart many referees questioned what was meant by directly. In such a restart where say the ball was teed up with a few touches by a player and then kicked towards goal was that considered direct? Some felt that it was not while many felt that the spirit of the law suggested otherwise, of which I was one. Also many questioned the unfairness of a player dribbling the ball away unsportingly to score and that there was not a clearly spelled out position on this.
So what you describe is not now a legal goal and the wording tidies that all up. The player must play the ball to a team mate or for the ball to touch an opponent before it enters the goal for the goal to be awarded. If it is a straight dribble and shot by the same player it is not a goal and it is a goal kick restart.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Sam,
This is a change to clarify drop ball situations. Clearly if only one player takes the ball from the drop ball and kicks it into the net, it is not a goal but a goal kick. The new Laws makes this very clear as to the meaning of 'directly'.