Question Number: 17597

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 10/31/2007

RE: amateur Adult

Tom of Kingsport, TN USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 98

When the game begins and the ball is in the center circle is it alright for a player to punt the ball toward the defenders goal.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

No punts allowed. It must be a free kick taken with the ball sitting on the center spot.

If you are asking if a properly taken kickoff can score a goal directly, the answer to that is yes. The Law was changed 10 years ago.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Nope. Must be stationary on the center mark

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

No.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

How is a player going to punt the ball without picking it up? Or let's start with what you are calling a "punt". Normally, that is what the goalkeeper does when he has the ball in his hands and punts it downfield. If your meaning for punt asks can an attacking player run up and kick the stuffing out of the stationary ball at the center mark, then yes, he can do that, although in both world football and American football, a punt requires the player to have the ball in his hands. And the kicker can't touch the ball again until some other player touches it first.