Question Number: 19998

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/19/2008

Keith Imhoff of unknown, unknown USA asks...

I got a question about an indirect kick. The ref gave the attracting team the ball on the smaller goal mouth box corner. The ball then was kicked off the crossbar/post. Is this still considered an indirect kick or should the ball have been handed over to the other team. No goal was scored. I don't think the ball was placed properly and I think that was a direct kick. Could you please help me with this?
What if the attacking player kicked it off the post then he followed up and kicked it into the goal. That would be a goal, correct?


Keith

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Keith, the only thing special about an indirect kick is that it must be touched by another player, not counting the kicker, before a goal can be scored. There is no special technique needed for a kick. We commonly see the ball nudged a small distance so the second touch can occur immediately after the first, but there is no requirement that this be done.

If the kick went directly into the opponent's goal without a second touch, play would be stopped and restarted with a goal kick coming out.

If the kick bounced off the goal and rebounded back to the kicker who touched it again, play would be stopped and restarted with an indirect free kick to the opponents, at the place the kicker touched the ball the second time. Any player taking a restart cannot play the ball twice in succession without it having touched another player. As I had to note to a coach a couple weeks ago, the goal isn't a player, is it?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Keith. I'm having trouble understanding your question. An Indirect kick simply means a goal may not be scored unless the ball touches at least 2 players before entering the goal. If the kick bounces off the crossbar the original kicker may NOT kick it a second time as it has not touched another player. This would be a second touch and result in an indirect free kick for the opponents