Question Number: 15188

Law 17 - Corner Kick 4/15/2007

RE: Rec College

Gungor Ozer of Atlanta, GA United States asks...

At a corner kick, after the player kicked the ball inside the penalty area (3 seconds after the kick), ref blows his whistle. Decides a foul against the defensive player, and books him. Then make the corner kick repeat. Is this a correct application of the rules?

As far as I know, since the ball is already in the play before the whistle, the game should restart with a drop ball. Am I wrong?

Can you give me a link to an official rulebook online?

Thanks...

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Let me make sure I understrand you. A corner kick is taken. 3 seconds later the referee stops play and cautions a defender and then has the corner retaken. Are you sure a foul was committed? It sounds more like to me that the referee witnessed misconduct BEFORE the corner was taken and for whatever reason didn't blow the whistle until after the kick. If that's the case,lousy timing aside, he's within Law. If he whistled for a foul, the proper restart would almost certainly be a penalty kick as the action was inside the penalty area and was severe enough to warrant a caution. The only time a dropped ball would be the restart in this scenario would be if he inadvertantly blew his whistle

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

The link is on our main page right side center.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Gungor,
3 seconds seems far too long? Did the referee drop his whistle?
If a defender is creating MISCODUCT before the corner kick and the referee felt he should DELAY the restart to deal with that misconduct and had decided to do so but had not yet indicated to anyone he was going to when the corner kick occurs the whistle to stop play should be hit hard and long so no players get involved in trying to recover what is essentially a dead ball as you are going to have it retaken after you have cautioned the defender!

On a corner kick the ball is in play once kicked and moved provided the referee had no reason to object. If the defender engages in a foul or misconduct after the ball is in play then the restart should be for that foul or misconduct NOT a retake of the corner.

You say a FOUL and a booking?
A foul must occur on the field by a player against an opponent while the ball is in play.
If a penal foul inside the defender's penalty area it must be a PK.
If a penal foul outside the PA it is a DFK.
If it was an infringement like screaming into the ear of an opponent to unnerve him then an INDFK restart with a caution
If the event occurred OUTSIDE the field boundries but the ball was in play then the restart must be a dropball from the point where the ball was.

If the referee accidently blew a whistle to stop play while the ball was in play and there was no infraction a dropball resart would be correct

Cheers.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If misconduct occurred before the ball was kicked and moves, then yes. Once a restart has been established that restart MUST occur.