Question Number: 19919

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/10/2008

RE: REC Under 19

Bryan of San Jose, CA USa asks...

In a game I was at tonight a referee called a foul on one of my players, the referee awarded an indirect free kick inside the box an for obstruction. When the play was restarted by the opposing team their player played the ball backwards then one of their players scored a goal. My question is two part can the ball be player backwards to start? I thought the ball had to progress (meaning forward, sideways) but not allowed to go backwards. And then can my player stand behind their player and if so do you still need to give 10 yards behind the player?

Can you please point me to the law for this issue

Best Regards,
Bryan

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

No box, it is the 18 yard penalty area which also contains within it the 6 yard goal area
If an ATTACKING INDFK is awarded for IMPEDING (it is no longer called obstruction) within the opposition's 6 yard goal area the restart location must be pulled straight back, 6 yards away on the goal area boundary parallel to the goal line. Anywhere inside the rest of the penalty area the INDFK is taken from the point of the infringement

YES on the restart the ball can go backwards as on any free kick EXCEPT on PKS or kick offs where the ball must move forward.

YES you as the defending must withdraw to ten yards in ALL DIRECTIONS including behind the ball

The ten yard minimum distance in front of an INDFK restart that is within ten yards of the goal has this exception on the indfks that occur between 10 yards and the 6 yard goal area. Your defenders can actually line up under the crossbar and between the posts while standing ON the goal line itself . Thus ONLY in these rare free kick occasions can your players be closer to the ball than the ten yards NORMALLY required to a minimum distance of 6 yards and only standing on the goal line! 10 yards withdrawal is a MINIMUM DISTANCE all of the time. You still must be 10 yards away if you are NOT on the goal line under the crossbar

Law 13 states on free kicks the ball is in play when it is kicked and moved it does not state direction except in the PK and kick off (FORWARD) and reaffirms law 16 guidelines that aside from a goal kick any defending free kick of a ball from inside the penalty area must completely exit the penalty area to be in play. It states the opposition must withdraw a MINIMUM ten yards from the restart point as well as comply with no opposition players inside the opposing team's penalty area on defending free kicks, nowhere does it state only one direction, it means in all directions!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

There is nothing anywhere in the LOTG requiring a ball to be kicked forwards in order to be in play except at a penalty kick and kick-off. Any other free kick is in play when the ball is kicked and moved. Your players are free to stand anywhere they want when you take a free kick. It is the opponent's that must be at least 10 yards from the ball and that includes every direction. The only time the opponents may be closer then 10 yards is if the IFK is awarded at a spot closer than 10 yards from the goal line in which case the wall may be placed ON the goal line in which case your players should not stand behind the wall.