Question Number: 31990

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/4/2017

RE: Under 19

Steven of new york, ny USA asks...

My final question is that it seems like a goal kick is actually a better 'advantage' to give a defending team rather than a direct free kick from the same location.

Say a defending player is fouled at the 6 yard box while the ball goes out of play. If they are given a goal kick, there will be no offside as opposed to a DFK, and if the ball is somehow accidentally kicked into their own goal, it would be a corner kick for the attacking team rather than an own goal on a DFK.

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it almost seems like a goal kick is more advantageous to defending players

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Steven,
Well, at least one part of your thinking on this is wrong. A DFK that is kicked into a team's own goal cannot be an own goal. In the scenario you describe, if it went into the goal without leaving the penalty area first it would be a retake as the ball would never have been in play or if it somehow went out of the area and then back into the goal, it would be a corner kick. It is true that a player cannot be offside from a goal kick but I would say that is a factor that only comes into play relatively rarely.

For me though, the main issue is what occurred first. If the ball had already crossed the line before the 'foul' you have to give the goal kick but if the foul occurred first, that's what you would give. I don't think advantage is really a consideration here, advantage is when the referee allows play to continue but here play is stopped one way or another, so I don't see that advantage is applicable.

Even if it were, there's so little chance of any actual advantage occurring that I still wouldn't consider it - just give whatever happened first.

Looking at this and the other questions you have posed, it rather seems as if you're going around looking for or dreaming up offences or situations that don't really (or very, very rarely) occur. I don't think that's a particularly fruitful pursuit, if I'm being honest.

There's a saying that can be applied to refereeing as much as to real life which is, ''Don't go looking for trouble.''

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If an outbound free kick (direct or indirect) goes directly into a team's own goal, it is a retake of the kick because the ball was never in play. So that scenario is out.

While there have been some game situations where a goal kick went to a player in an offside position (and thus was not offside because it was a goal kick), they are few and far between. They're rare enough that someone usually doesn't recognize why it wasn't offside - and we hope that 'someone' isn't on the ref crew!

I agree with my colleague, you just call whatever happened first. And if the action that would have been a foul was severe enough to be misconduct, you can deal with that even if the ball went out of play first.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steven
Whatever about offside kicking the ball into the goal from a free kick inside the penalty area would be extremely rare and as the ball has to leave the penalty area to be first put into play it is most times going to be a retake rather than a corner kick.
Now my advice is to consider the foul itself. If it is doubtful or trifling then by all means go with a goal kick. However if there is a clear foul then call it and deal with it. Even playing advantage on a clear foul that is deep in a players half can be problematic.
So rather than look at the benefits that might accrue from say a goal kick as opposed to a free kick deal with the foul in its own right and take whatever action is appropriate to the circumstances. All too often I have seen fouls not being called which players then believe that the referee has missed or ignored. I have seen advantage go pear shaped where the fouled against player decides to take retribution rather than the foul being called and the player dealt with.
No defending team is going to complain about a free kick being called inside the penalty area. Perhaps on a quick break with advantage not being given might be an issue. Those are rare also.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Steve,
ANY free kick be it a goal kick an INDFK or DFK that is outgoing in the goal area can be restarted ANYWHERE inside the goal area and is NOT in play until it completely EXITS the penalty area as no player from EITHER team is permitted to touch the ball until it enters open play to do so is a retake and again if done repetitively a possible caution.

If any of these kicks were to exit the goal line either in the actual goal itself or inside the outer limits of the penalty area the kick would be retaken. If it was kicked out repetitively THEN a case for delaying the restart MIGHT be feasible.

Once the ball escapes the confines of the penalty area and THEN directly exits the FOP it is a throw in or a corner kick for the opposition that applies to all 3 types of kicks .

You are correct the no offside potential of a long goal kick is a wee bit of an advantage IF they have such a powerful kicker and a fast striker to give chase in their arsenal so if it was a marginal or trifling foul the goal kick might be preferable to a DFK or INDFK out.

I respect the fact you are trying to close out loopholes but I agree with my colleague Ref Grove and others do not look for trouble or seek out the individual grains of sand to build foundations of understanding.
Cheers