Question Number: 17040

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/2/2007

RE: REC Under 13

Frank of laguna beach, ca usa asks...

A Red Team attacker fouls a Blue Team defender in the Blue Team defender's penalty area and the referee signals for a free kick. The Blue Team taker of the kick kicks it back towards the Blue Team goalkeeper and the Blue Team goal. The Blue Team goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball in an attempt to stop the ball from going into the goal and, although he succeeds in deflecting it, the ball continues into the Blue Team's goal, crossing the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. What is the proper decision and restart?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This sounds like a test question or trivia contest.

The correct restart is a retake of the free kick. This is because the ball was never in play.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 13 says on any free kick taken within a team's own penalty area the ball is in play when it is kicked directly beyond the penalty area. It used to add "into the field of play". So this ball was not kicked beyond the penalty area before it was touched, in fact it never was kicked beyond the penalty area, it is therefore not in play. The original free kick must be retaken.