Question Number: 21061

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/30/2009

RE: select Under 16

Bob Coleman of Brick, NJ USA asks...

You have a brand new turf field. It's a very windy day. Your team has a corner kick. You place the ball down in the corner and the wind blows it away. It constantly blow the ball away. How do you handle the kick? You can't have someone hold it--that's a handball.

Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Bob, I know you mean to say deliberately handling the ball not 'handball' because you are a referee. As a referee, you also know that any player may handle the ball if it is out of play. A teammate of the player taking the corner kick can hold the ball in place with his hand because the ball is not in play until after it has been kicked and moved.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It is good you want to follow the Law. The Law says the ball must be stationary when it is kicked. If the windy conditions prevent the ball from being stationary by itself, it will need some help.

And as Ref Contarino notes, until the ball is in play it doesn't matter who is touching it. While you will not see this at the highest levels of play, they don't play on fields where the wind is a huge factor in such instances either. So, common sense must prevail!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The honest-to-goodness official answer is that if field conditions make it impossible for a ball to be stationary at a restart, the game must be abandoned. That is especially true if it is a penalty kick, because except for the kicker and keeper, all players must be outside the penalty area. But when have you ever seen that happen?

So except at the very highest levels of play, we improvise. Having another player hold the ball until the kick is a reasonable accomodation. I've heard a report from a referee who carries some of those little plastic rings that hold the top on milk jugs and uses them to stabilize the ball - a little extreme for me, but if it works, why not? There may be other common-sense methods as well.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

If the ball is out of play the players may touch it with their hands until the they're dead and burried. So holding the ball down with the hand or foot is not a problem, once it is in play it may not be touched with the hands deliberately except for by the goalkeeper inside his own penalty area. Also, the referee should allow some leeway regarding the split second after the kick where the hand may still be touching the ball as it is kicked into play.

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

See Question: 21075