Question Number: 30970

Law 16 - The Goal Kick 10/28/2016

RE: Intermediate Under 14

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30965

Law 16 clearly handles this situation:
'If an opponent who is in the penalty area when the goal kick is taken touches or challenges for the ball before it has touched another player, the goal kick is retaken.

If a player enters the penalty area before the ball is in play and fouls or is fouled by an opponent, the goal kick is retaken and the offender may be cautioned or sent off depending on the offence.
'

But I have a some questions. Assume an attacking player (blue) is in the PA at the time of the goal kick by green.

1) If the ball leaves the PA & blue dangerously tackles a green player outside the PA, say 15 yards up field, I know it's a yellow or red, depending whether it's reckless or excessive, but is it still a retake? Or would you punish the more serious offense by giving a direct free kick to green at the point of the foul?

2) Clearly if blue just fouls an opponent after the ball leaves the PA but before it touches another player, it's a retake & may be a yellow or red card. However, what if blue is the one fouled in such a way that it would ordinarily be a yellow or red against the green? i.e. say blue challenges for the ball before it touches anyone & a green player slide tackles him directly. If you card the green player, is it a retake (because of blue's challenge), or is it a DFK for the blue because the ball was in play & it's the more serious offense?

I would think that once the ball leaves the PA, the retake wouldn't be a goal kick unless there were no serious fouls & it was merely for blue challenging or playing the ball before another player touched it.
Thanks in advance,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Phil,
be wary of looking at bits of advice in a partial context keep in mind what is trifling and what is advantageous.

LETs examine the information of law 16 ,
FIFA QUOTE
An opponent who is in the penalty area when the goal kick is taken touches or challenges for the ball before it has touched another player, the goal kick is retaken. end quote

Note it states challenging for the ball NOT the opponent in the first bit.

FIFA QUOTE explanation
16.3 Attacker in the penalty area Additional text • If an opponent who is in the penalty area when the goal kick is taken touches or challenges for the ball before it has touched another player, the goal kick is retaken.
Explanation Clarifies that any opponent(s) in the penalty area when the goal kick is taken can not touch/challenge for the ball until another player has touched it so that the player does not gain an advantage from having not left the penalty area as required by Law
end quote

That is in reference to an opponent who lets say is either cutting the corner of the PA to pursue or track the ball into and out of the PA. It really does not address the FOUL of an opponent 15 yards outside the PA . For us to NOT consider the FOUL it would HAVE to be declared MISCONDUCT and it would HAVE to occur BEFORE the Ball exited the PA.
Your first scenario makes no mention that the fouled opponent was the ball recipient being challenged? 15 yards is a long ways out so if the opponent was tracking the ball starting from inside the PA before the ball exited the PA the CR would know to stop and retake prior to the foul given the location and the actions undertaken in the ball pursuit. The retake is based on whether he gains anything out of those actions.

The timing of an offence as well as the location does factor into whether the restart HAS been completed . As you know the ball must completely leave the PA into the FOP. You also know it is possible for the defenders to take a free kick quickly and trap a retreating opponent inside the PA and be considered as inconsequential to the outcome thus ignored.

In your first scenario the DFK out is a no brainer BECAUSE the offence is outside the PA and AFTER the ball was in play! The card colour based on description easily yellow likely red but no reason to retake.

NEXT FIFA quote
If a player enters the penalty area before the ball is in play and fouls or is fouled by an opponent, the goal kick is retaken and the offender may be cautioned or sent off depending on the offence. End quote
This is because it is not a foul it is MISCONDUCT occurring before the ball is in play and this action occurs INSIDE the PA


In the 2nd scenario, NO not clearly, you assume incorrectly what you asked in scenario #1?, If the opponent was to foul a defender outside the PA, BUT only AFTER after the ball exited the PA why would you retake if the DFK outside is of greater advantage? The blue position inside the PA which COULD result in a retake only if it has a bearing on play as is in a challenge/touch of the ball?
Do not confuse a foul with misconduct or a player chasing the ball as reason to deny the DFK foul once a ball has exited the PA

If you want to diagram this out lets put a blue player say on the corner of the PA arc right at the 18 yd. PA outer boundary line and the keeper tries to pass the ball sideways to the touchline to a green team mate. NOW our BLUE player follows the ball by entering into the PA (not allowed) trying to skirt the corner of the PA instead of running out and around. He is trying to touch or get close to challenge for the ball illegally. If he was successful we retake ! If he is not successful we COULD retake but would you? Lets take our blue player and say he gets to the ball before the green player after cutting the PA corner or running out of the PA if he was inside but only after the ball had exited the PA. This is the situation the new wrinkle is suggesting we do not permit our illegally positioned blue player is having a direct effect on play because of where he was. .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
Law 13 tells us that if, when a free kick is taken quickly by the defending team from inside its penalty area, any opponents are inside the penalty area because they did not have time to leave, the referee allows play to continue. The same can and does apply to a goal kick.
So referee should only intervene when the play is affected by the encroaching opponent before the ball is in play. So if the ball gets 15 yards up the field for me the goal kick is over and play has restarted. A DFK is the only viable restart.
On your second one the ball is in play the moment it crosses the penalty area line. It does not have to touch another player to be put in play so once in play by exiting the penalty area it is a DFK from where the offence took place. If an offence happens while the ball is IN the penalty area it is a retake and possible misconduct. So it could only be a retake if the misconduct happened before the ball left the penalty area not when it touches a 2nd player outside the PA.
Remember that the Law is to bring order to goal kicks and free kicks by getting attackers to clear the penalty area and to get the ball out and away from the penalty area. I would believe that the original law makers wanted players to *disperse* from areas where they would group in as that can and does cause problems. The sooner the ball gets into open play away from goal the better for the game.