Question Number: 15868

Law 17 - Corner Kick 6/23/2007

RE: Junior Under 15

Bernard Wong of Denmark, WA Australia asks...

In the FIFA rules the procedure for taking a corner is "the ball is placed inside the corner arc". However, the picture has the ball "on the line".
What is the actual definition "of inside the corner arc"? Does this include the line of the arc? Or should the ball be placed without touching the acr line?

thanks, Bernard

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The lines bounding any area on the field belong to the area. Therefore the corner arc is both the green grass inside the paint, and the paint as well. So a ball may be placed on either the interior green or on the white.

Another question is whether the ball must be *touching* a part of the arc (either the green or white part), or if it can just be overhanging it. USSF has said the ball could be placed on the grass outside the arc if a portion of the ball overhangs the arc. FIFA has been less clear about the matter.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The ball must touching part of the arc marking the corner arc. This is similar to a goal kick.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

FIFA will have great difficulty in explaining a ball in contact with the extended cylindrical projection of the line NOT being in the corner area because FIFA have said the lines belong to the areas they mark. Every other line, having the ball in contact with the extended plane places the ball inside that area. With the general rewrite of the Laws of the Game in 1997 the phrase "completely inside the corner arc" disappeared and ball placement at a corner kick became a matter of interpretation. The FA and USSF are in agreement here in contact is in. Australian Football should clarify this for referees in their federation.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It was a poor decision by FIFA in my opinion to not state the ball must be completely inside the arc! The fact that 10 yards are supposed to be honured seems rather ludicrous when the ball can be advanced off the goal line touchline intersection the width of the ball plus a full meter. The corner flag prevents a spot like a pk from being the restart point. We recognize a bit of room to kick is required given a pole is in the way. We have in the couirse of disscussions on ball placement held or tried to defend one of these at some point in our career on placing a ball legally on inside a corner arc on corner kicks from
the ball must be completely inside,
to
the ball must be completely inside or ON the line,
to
the ball could be completely inside or ON the line while overhanging the line,
to
the ball could be completely inside or ON the line Or overhanging the line

I think at present the school of thought is if the rounded part of the ball overhangs the boundry lines of the arc we will consider the ball as inside even if much of that ball is outside.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jon Sommer

Ball must be touching part of the arc....some fields have a marking to mark 10 yards....this mark should actually be 11 yards from the corner flag, thus making it 10 yards from where the ball is placed.

Regards