Question Number: 22827

Law 13 - Free Kicks 2/16/2010

RE: Rec Under 15

Ned of Plymouth, MA USA asks...

If the ball kicked 50 feet away from where I am standing, and the ball is played while at the same time a foul is committed right in front of me, do I spot the ball at the sight of the foul, or where it was played 50 feet away? The foul in this case was the defender pushed the attacker from the side late, after the attacker played the ball to the person 50 feet away.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The direct and indirect free kick offenses from Law 12 are always punished at the site where it occurred. If the keeper violently throws the ball at an opponent outside the penalty area, whether he hits him or not, we send off the keeper for VC (striking or attempting to strike) and the restart is a DFK where the opponent was when the ball struck or would have struck him.

Another example: An opponent prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball back into play. After blowing the whistle, the referee awards an IDFK to the keeper's team where he was standing when the interference took place, unless it was inside the goal area, in which case we bring the kick up to the top of the goal area.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The restart is based on the location of the foul - - not the location of the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Ned
Wrong sport I'm afraid. Some ball sports such as rugby award the free kick in these type of situation from where the ball lands.
In soccer the free kick is always from the location of the infringement. An extreme example would be where a goalkeeper punched an opponent in his penalty area and the ball was at the other end of the field of play. The keeper would be dismissed and the restart would be a penalty kick as the infringement happened inside the PA. The location of the ball is irrelevant in determining where the FK is taken from.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Ned, as a referee I expect you to know this.

Any fouls are punished at the location of the foul.

In the case of throwing the ball at an opponent, the foul is considered to be located where the ball strikes or would have struck the opponent.