Question Number: 16811

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/20/2007

RE: Rec, Travel Adult

Michael Hurley of Bloomington, MN USA asks...

On an IDK, does the ball have to be "moved" by a player on the attacking team - or - just touched, before another team mate can shoot on goal? My son ran over the ball touching the top with the ball of his foot and was followed by his team mate who took the shot and scored - but the ref disallowed the goal saying the ball had to roll one full revolution before being touched by his team mate.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Michael,
the referee was in error that a ball requires a full revolution this was removed in law some time ago. However, the essence of a kick is not a tap on top of the ball as you step over it . Technically the ball must move from here to there in a discernable kicking motion. A kicking action can be done with ANY part of the shoe be it the toe, instep or side or heel or sole but you can not pull or push the ball in a continuous motion with the foot nor squish the ball slightly in one place and call it a kicking action. You can scuff the ball with the sole and roll it any direction as a legitamate kicking action provided the referee agrees with that as a kicking motion and can see the ball actually move not just wobble as the atoms move in a nonvisable physical state of flux!
The referee is a match condition and whether he is correct as an opinion a fact of play is uncontestable. His match, his decision, his reputation!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The ball hasn't had to move a full rotation for over at least 10 years so this referee is way out of date. That said, the rules have changed significantly the past few years. Formerly, merely tapping the top of the ball was allowed and constituted as "kicked and moved". Not so anymore. The powers that be now tell us that there must be a "kicking motion" and there must be "discernable movement".