Question Number: 31797

Law 17 - The Corner Kick 9/18/2017

RE: Competive Under 13

Jeff James of ALLEN, TX United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30789

On the Corner kick where the players are trying to implement some trickery, If player 1 touches the ball and it does NOT come out of the arc and he runs onto the pitch telling player 2 to go take the kick. Player 2 runs to the ball and proceeds to dribble out of the arc to get a shot. Does that ball have to come out of the arc to be considered a good restart or does the fact the player 1 moved the ball within the arc constitute a good restart?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeff
The ball only has to be kicked and clearly moved to be in play. At a corner kick the ball does not have to leave the arc as it is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves even if it stays inside the arc.
Now this is where it gets tricky. While players can communicate between themselves they must not verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart. A player shouting *Leave it Ill take it* or * You take it* when the ball is in play can be guilty of this offence of verbal distraction. If a defender is watching the ball and an attacker comes running across with a shout then the defender may turn away at that moment. Sometimes as well the coaching staff at Underage gets involved in the verbals.
If no words are used then the ball is in play when it is kicked and moved and we continue. The challenge will be to ensure that the ball was in fact kicked and clearly moved and there was verbal distraction. If the referee is distracted with pushing and pulling in the of salty area will be see the faintest kick and moves play?
Referees can get into all sorts of difficulties on these ruses when they have not seen the kick, do not know if the ball was in the arc at the time of the first kick and if it has in fact been clearly kicked and moved
In a recent game that I was involved in a player I believe may have tried this but the defender shouted to me that the ball was in play and that he was going to play the ball. I immediately told him that the ball was not in play and I was asking for the kick to be taken correctly (even if it was first time). That put an end to any issues.
Have a look at this ruse
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jj6vajvdVs
Which kick put the ball in play? Was there a double touch Infringement here by the first player. Had a Blue defender ran over to play the ball what would the decision be.
Here is another one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=1m26s&v=mwOyK1MYDF0
For me it is patently wrong to allow this. Did the AR prevent the challenge by the defender for the ball?
Note the reaction of the defender after the goal moving towards the AR probably to say he was prevented from a challenge on the ball which would be normal with the ball in play.
Here is another one
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qWWm1H1DC-Q
The AR flags and the referee asks for the kick to be taken again.
I personally do not allow these ruses and I go with a retake every single time. I have never had an one issue managing it in that way.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are problems with this trick corner kick play, even though it is completely legal - as long as there has been no verbal distraction as described by Ref McHugh.

If the players are too tricky, the ref may miss the initial touch, and guess what happens?

Also, if the team is successful at this, then they have demonstrated that they consider the slightest re-positioning of the ball to put it in play. At the next free kick, a player is moving the ball with his foot to get a good 'lie' on it. Does that mean he's put it into play?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jeff,
given the propensity for the ruckus within the PA on corner kicks or free kicks into the PA area I find I most often WHISTLE the corner kick restart. This niggle misconduct seems to garner a lot of attention and unless the team taking the free kick or corner give me the impression they want to take the short one/quickly I usually post up a WAIT for the whistle!

The LOTG state the ball must be kicked and moved I for one DO NOT consider a SOLE ROLL and then take your foot off while it rests as a kick if it is used to REPOSITION a ball on a free kick UNLESS ONCE the foot is taken away the ball continues to roll. You can kick the ball with ANY part of the foot but I better not have to guess if you are repositioning or initiating a kick. I think it best to see the ball move out of the arc given so many place it on the arc line to start anyways!
Nor am I at all interested in them coming pregame to tell me of their plans.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jeff,
OK, first things first: ''Does that ball have to come out of the arc to be considered a good restart ...?''

The answer to this is clear: no, the ball does not have to come out of the corner area (IFAB doesn't call it an arc any more) it only has to be kicked and clearly move. The Law actually says this specifically:

''The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves; it does not need to leave the corner area''

As to the second part: ''or does the fact the player 1 moved the ball within the arc constitute a good restart?'' This part is a ''well, it all depends'' answer. You say the player merely touched the ball - so did it clearly move or not? If not then it is not a good restart. If it did clearly move then it is potentially a good restart but you also have to take into consideration all the factors mentioned in my colleagues' answers regarding possible confusion, potential verbal distraction, whether the referee can even figure out what is going on etc.