Question Number: 34653

Law 16 - The Goal Kick 8/2/2022

RE: competitive Other

Zano Pascall of Harare, Harare Zimbabwe asks...

What decision can I give if while trying to take a goal kick the defender, who is taking the goal kick falls and in the process kicks the ball but falls and handles the ball before it leaves the penalty area?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Zano
Thanks for the question

Law 16 has changed in that the ball is now in play at a goal kick when it is kicked and moved. The ball no longer has to leave the penalty area to be in play.

Now the correct answer is that as the ball is in play with the kick so the defender has deliberately handled the ball inside the penalty area for which a penalty kick is awarded. It is also a double touch offence yet the more serious offence of deliberate handling is what is called. The referee has to also consider whether the action by the defender stopped a promising attack or denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity in which case the player is either cautioned or dismissed. If neither happened then a penalty kick would suffice.

Now a referee might opine that the slip / fall was in fact not a kick and therefore might decide that the kick should be taken correctly. Say at underage a referee might decide to be generous with young players who slip whereas at open age a deliberate action will be punished fully under the laws.