Question Number: 30864

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/6/2016

RE: Rec Under 10

Tim Billings of Fort Meade, MD USA asks...

Just need some clarification on an Indirect Free Kick scenario. Team A has an IFK 15 yards from the goal. Team A player blasts ball at Team B wall, which then ricochets off players in Team B's wall and goes in the goal. Is that a goal or no? I know FIFA rules state it must touch another player, but is kicking a ball into a wall and hoping for the best really the intent or spirit of this particular rule?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tim
Once the ball touches another player no matter whether the touch is deliberate, inadvertent or speculative the goal is good. It might not be the principled spirit or intent behind an IDFK yet neither is a defensive wall. Indeed the law has been changed in that a player can deliberately kick the ball off an opponent close to the ball at a free kick to play the ball again. The kick must not be reckless or use excessive force from that short distance.
If the ball is kicked directly into the goal from the attacking IDFK then it is a goal kick.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tim.
You have a good goal. The ball requires a second touch by any other player other than the kicker himself.. In point of fact, the defenders have NO rights to even have time to form a wall. The fact the INDFK occurs 15 yards from goal indicates it occurs inside the PA. Now as in ANY free kick the aggrieved team has EVERY right to take the kick quickly, IF they prefer, subject to any true necessary referee intervention, i.e. you need to card someone.
It is REMOTELY possible say for an attacking kicker to say place the ball immediate on the blade of grass restart location. The location is a BIG deal for kicks in and around the goal or PA area. The kicker then deliberately tries what you have implied, which is to get the ball to deflect into the goal or be able to play it himself a second time off the INDFK. The ONLY caveat would be if it was done as a violent act, say the ball was kicked into his head as he lay on the ground. THOSE antics could not be permitted. Yet UNDERSTAND when a wall is set at ten yards the kicker has every right to fire it as HARD as he can right into any player standing there. INDFKs the defenders MUST withdraw 10 yards. If the INDFK is closer to the goal then 10 yards the defenders can only line up on the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar KEEPER included.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Tim,
The definition of an indirect free kick in the Glossary part of the Laws of the Game is as follows:

''A free kick from which a goal can only be scored if another player (of any team) touches the ball after it has been kicked''

Since the definition clearly states that the second touch may be from either team then in the scenario you describe, this is a goal.

I am not aware that the intent of the law is anything other than that the ball must touch a second player before a goal can be scored. I do not believe the manner or circumstances of this 'second touch' is particularly relevant.

I do know that the IFAB at one time considered that forming a defensive wall was unsporting and discussed whether a way might be found to prevent teams from doing this. So, in so far as we can discern the intent of the lawmakers as it applies to the entire situation here, it could be argued that it is the defensive team that is performing the more unsporting action.

Admittedly this was many years ago and nobody seems to think of defensive walls as unsporting these days but by the same token I don't believe there is any prevailing sentiment within the game that attempting to deflect an indirect free kick in off an opponent is particularly unsporting either.