Question Number: 17951

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 11/19/2007

RE: U10 Tournament Play Under 11

Sarah K of San Antonio, TX USA asks...

I was reffing this week-end at a tournament and had a player kick-off forward and then play the ball a second time. I blew the whistle and awarded an IFK to the opposing team for a double touch. After the game, the coach of the penalized team argued that I should have just had his team repeat the kick off (as I would have done if the player had kicked-off backward instead of forward). Since it was a legal kick-off and the ball was in play, was an IFK for double touch the correct call?
cheers-
Sarah

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Sarah,
Spot on, you be 100% correct, the coach well he IS a coach, so we understand he only read the second part part of the Infringements/Sanctions
Law 8 The Start and Restart of play

If the kicker touches the ball a second time before it has touched another player:

an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

For any other infringement of the kick-off procedure:

the kick-off is retaken.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Once a player starts or restarts play that player may not touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player. The penalty for touching the ball a second time is indirect free kick to the opponents, regardless what the coach believes to be true. Well Done!

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Play was started properly. The kicker then touched the ball again before it touched another player. IFK for opponents. As an aside, at this level of play I always tell the kicker the ball must be kicked forward and the kicker can't touch it again until the ball touches another player. Part of our job is instructional but obvious mistakes such as this should be sanctioned

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