Question Number: 21891

Law 17 - Corner Kick 9/5/2009

RE: travel Under 14

chris of vineland, nj cumberland asks...

Ok, corner kick takes place, hits post and is kicked by player who originally took corner goes in the net off another player, referee calls it a goal but players tell ref it's a double kick. Is it a goal? Maybe the goalie touched it? It was called a goal originally then reversed. What if it was a handball that was missed and the players argued it? Just think if it was called a goal, it shouldn't be reversed. Thnaks

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I have seen this happen once in 12 years of youth soccer refereeing. The ball rebounded from the goal frame, without going completely over the goal line, and back to the corner kick taker. Since the goal is not a player, no other players had yet touched the ball. The kicker is not allowed to touch it. He did, I whistled. But being so rare, I can understand your ref not immediately recognizing the infraction. Good for him that he changed his decision when presented with the information. And hopefully good for the players that they were arguing calmly, not vehemently.

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The player taking the corner kick may not play the ball a second time until the ball has touched another player. The referee may change his decision as long as he does not restart play. If he realizes the ball was kicked a second time by the original kicker before it was touched by another player, then he should call off the goal. That said, the referee should never change a call just because players are arguing with him. He must come to his own conclusion or act on information from an assistant referee or fourth official. If the players arguing caused the referee to remember that the taker of the corner kick can't kick it again before it touches another player AND the referee also realizes the kicker DID illegally kick the ball a second time, then he has acted properly in calling off the goal. If on the other hand the referee doesn't know if another player touched it or he thinks another player did touch it, he shouldn't change his mind just because players disagree with him.
If he and his crew miss a deliberately handling of the ball, then it didn't happen and no amount of arguing or complaining by players should make him call it. The same is true for ANY infraction. If the referee or his crew didn't see something, then for all intents and purposes, the infraction never happened.

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Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If the corner kick was taken then the rebound from the post occurs no player other than the kicker has yet touched the ball the corner kicker CAN NOT play that rebound! It is a second touch violation INDFK out from the point where this second touch occurs. The referee was correct to disallow the goal if this was so because the team scoring the goal had violated the laws to do so!
If the referee MISSED seeing a minute deflection off ANY opposing player then he missed seeing it! Same if the referee missed seeing a team mate get a slight touch which could have made the second touch by the corner kicker legal but possibly place him in an offside position.
A referee with integrity sees what he sees! While it is best to agree to disagree and move on, if you saw it differently I can not fault the team for logically calling out the obvious faux pas if this double touch had taken the referee unaware. It is always risky to dissent a call but a wise referee also knows when to bristle with indignation and when to be grateful for getting a wrong protestable call properly fixed!
Cheers


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