Question Number: 20951

Law 13 - Free Kicks 3/9/2009

RE: Under 15

Terry Allen of Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia asks...

A three-part question relating to the taking of an INDFK within a team's own penalty area (Law 13);

A)The ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area, but I can't see that the LOTG prevent a second player from the same team touching the ball before it leaves the penalty area. ie Is it permissable for one player to tap the ball to a second who then dribbles it out of the penalty area or must the ball clear the penalty area with the first touch?

B)If the answer to my first question is that a second player may touch the ball before it leaves the penalty area, then surely there would come a time when the referee would intervene with a USB caution if the two (or more) players simply passed the ball around within their own penalty area to run the clock down knowing their opponents can't enter the penalty area to take possession. Would they all receive a caution?

C) Under 'Infringements and Sanctions' Law 13 states that if the (non goalkeeper) kicker deliberately handles the ball 'after the ball is in play' it would be a penalty if this occurred within the penalty area. However, the ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area. Is this point only there to deal with a situation caused by strong wind blowing the ball back? I can't see how else this rule might be applied.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

A) Law 13 Free Kicks says:

Free Kick Inside the Penalty Area
Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:
? all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
? all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball
is in play
? the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty
area
? a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point
inside that area

Notice the part where it says the ball is in play when it is kicked DIRECTLY out of the penalty area - that means the ball was kicked by a defender and that kick must clear the PA without being touched by anyone else.

B) See A above - a second player cannot touch the ball. If they do, it is retake of the free kick.

C) This point is there to deal with free kicks that do not originate in the penalty area, generally speaking. However, it would cover the situation where the kicker kicks it directly out of the penalty area and promptly handles it. It could even apply to a ball kicked directly out of the area that returns via wind or bouncing off the referee or some other freak occurence and the kicker deliberately handles the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

A. A second player is not allowed to touch or play the ball before it leaves the penalty area. This is what Law 13 means when it says kicked 'directly' out of the penalty area. If a second player touches or plays the ball before it leaves the penalty area, the kick is retaken.
B. Since you are incorrect in A, B doesn't apply
C. Infringements and sanctions applies to ALL free kicks. However, if the ball was played from inside one's own penalty area it could rebound off the referee back to the kicker as well as the wind blowing it back.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 20969