Question Number: 17018

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/1/2007

RE: AYSO Under 12

ArtK of Culver City, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16925

The question about keeper possession and attacker contact got me thinking -- what's the correct restart? Clearly, reckless or seriously foul play will result in a card, and a DFK if there is an underlying foul (say, kicking the keeper's arm while they have contact with the ball.)

My question is more about the grey area; the keeper has the proverbial one-finger control of the ball and an attacker plays the ball without any contact with the keeper. Would this be an IFK for "preventing the keeper from releasing the ball?"

Or, let's say the keeper is standing and has just caught the ball -- the attacker delivers what would otherwise be a legal charge. DFK for the charge? IFK for "preventing"?

This came to mind this weekend, when I almost had the ball played out of the keepers hand (no contact with the keeper), fortunately the keeper lost control just before the attacker reached the ball. As I was setting up for the kickoff from the ensuing goal, I realized that I wouldn't have known the right restart if the keeper had kept control!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The general rule is that if a foul can be seen as more than one thing, you choose the one with the most consequences. Kicking the ball out of the keeper's hand could be seen as an IFK for preventing the keeper from releasing it, an IFK for playing in a dangerous manner, or a DFK for kicking or attempting to kick. Make your choice. As a practical matter, since you're probably at least 80 yards from the opponent's goal, an IFK or DFK restart doesn't make much of a difference. Just get the direction of a kick right, and deal with any misconduct correctly, and you shouldn't have any problem.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

As Ref Voshal states, what real difference does it make unless it's a hard foul worthy of a card? Personally, if the opponent kicks the ball on the ground that a keeper has pinned, it's an IFK for PIADM unless the keeper gets kicked or almost kicked. Either way, the free kick's coming out of the penalty area so it's really academic and totally ITOOTR

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

I'd actually give a DFK restart for kicking or attempting to kick. Since the restart is located in the penalty area, then the ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area. If the spot of the foul is in the goal area, then the ball may be placed anywhere in the goal area and is not in play until it completely leaves the penalty area.

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

See Question: 23432