Question Number: 16849

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/23/2007

RE: competive Under 8

Travis Fletcher of Elkins , West Virginia united states asks...

A kid used his hands in his own goaly box. Is this a direct kick or an indirect.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Travis, was the kid a outfield player or a goalkeeper? Was it his penalty area or theirs? Was the ball in play or not? Was the touch deliberate or not? The referee needs to know all of these things before awards a free kick. The free kick awarded may be direct or indirect based on who and under what were the circumstances of the touch. AND under some circumstances there is no free kick necessary. Law 12 tells us when to award a direct or indirect free kick. Because you are a referee I assume you have access to the Laws of the Game given you when you first qualified.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

What in the world is "competitive Under 8?" I am willing to give you the benefit of doubt for it being U8, as quite possibly you are a slightly-trained volunteer helping out in the kids' league. But if the league passes itself off as competitive, they would be using USSF-certified referees. A large part of the certification class is on fouls and misconduct, and the resulting restarts. So I am mystified. Should you know this as a basic part of your training, or is this an unaffiliated league that makes it up as it goes? Or, as part of the "small-sided games" rules, has the league made all free kicks indirect?

Deliberately handling the ball is a direct free kick offense, which does not apply to a goalkeeper when the ball is in her own penalty area. If a player other than the goalkeeper commits a DFK offense inside her own penalty area, it is a penalty kick.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If it is not the keeper, then the restart should be a PK.