Question Number: 19374

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/14/2008

RE: amateur Adult

Martin Gautrey of Southport, Merseyside England asks...

An indirect free kick is awarded for obstruction, against a striker. Defender decides to play the ball to his own keeper, expecting him to sweep the ball out to his full back.

Keeper takes an air shot and the ball goes into the net - what is the decision?

My brother says retake, I say corner, my other brother and dad says own goal.

Who is right - or is their another answer?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

We don't have enough information to answer this question. Specifically, did the kick take place inside or outside the defender's penalty area? If outside the penalty area you are correct. Keeper never touched the ball and even if this had been a DFK, you can't score on yourself on any restart. Also, it was an IFK so no goal if directly kicked into either net. If the ball was INSIDE the penalty area, then the ball was never put into play as it has to go beyond the penalty area first. In this case the restart would be to retake the IFK. In no case could it be an own goal

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Martin, if the FK was taken outside the penalty area, it is a corner kick. You will find this inLaw 13 clearly stated. If it was taken inside his penalty area the ball has to go BEYOND the penalty area before it is in play. This word beyond means that it has to cross one of the three boundaries of the area: the sides or the 18 yard boundary. Even though the ball left the penalty area by crossing the goal line, it was still not in play because it did not go BEYOND the p. area.

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