Question Number: 19824

Law 13 - Free Kicks 8/26/2008

RE: various levels

John of Layton, UT USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 19786

Assuming I have a decent mental image of what happened [in 19786], it seems a viable way to have handled this situation would be to consider the corner kick as not properly restarted and retake the corner. In the case of a kick off where the ball must move forward, if the ball does not move forward then the restart is to retake the kickoff as the ball was not properly put into play. Would it be an acceptable rule of the referee to rule an improper restart at the corner (the ball was not 'kicked and moved' and was thus not in play when the second player made contact) and retake the kick?

I only ask this based on the obvious belief of the second player who dribbled the ball and assumed it was in play. This is the player that would be guilty of a double touch, thinking the corner had been properly taken, when in fact it wasn't. In addition, the defense may not have a good view of the ball to be able to tell when the ball actually moves, and assuming it is in play may adjust their positions if the 'tap' was not considered the restart, but the second player was. I would think a defender standing 10 yards away could easily assume the first 'tap' was the restart and could charge the second player and infringe distance before the second player committed the double touch.

Similarly, as a PK must move forward to be a proper restart, if the player who takes the PK kicks the ball to the side or backwards and in the opinion of the referee the ball does not move forward, is a retake permitted (as the ball was not properly restarted) or does the attacking team lose the opportunity for a PK at this point? (I apologize for asking two questions in a single post)

Thank you in advance!

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

John the difference between a 'tapped' corner kick and a backward kicked kickoff is this. In the first case the ball is in play NOT at the time of the tap but when the ball is 'kicked' by the second player. This was explained in the last answer to question 19786. Now the second player touches the ball again constituting a second and illegal touch of the ball the foul is called. In the backwards kickoff situation the is simply not in play and it must be a retake.
In the case of the PK there is a different story. If it is kicked backwards the LOTG specifically say that they lose the ball. This is an anomaly because the LOTG also say that the ball is not in play until it is kicked and moves forward but we have to do what FIFA says.
Incidentally you mention a PK going sideways. Well, the ball either goes forward or backwards. From 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock it is forward and from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock it is backwards.