Question Number: 21460

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 6/2/2009

RE: house league Other

Lisa Hockley of Creemore, Ontario Canada asks...

I've been asked by coaches and parents what is the difference between a dropped ball and a free kick? When should these be taken?
Also, are there specific times a goalie can drop kick, throw or kick a stationary ball? The rules for mini soccer are not really clear. Lisa H

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

A dropped ball is a restart by the referee. It is for use when the Law does not give us a proscribed restart, such as after an injury stoppage. The ball is dropped from waist height, and it is in play when it hits the ground. There is no requirement for 1, 2 or 22 players to be involved - in other words, there is no requirement that a player from each team be present. If the ball does not hit the ground before it is kicked, we do it over.

Free kicks occur when an offense has occurred for which a free kick is the proscribed restart, such as fouls, misconduct or offside. The referee will know when they should be given.

As for the keeper, she has 6 seconds to release the ball back into play without penalty if she has the ball in her hands inside the penalty area. She can drop kick or throw it, and if she releases it to the ground, any opponent can challenge for it, and she cannot pick it up again without incurring an IDFK.

As for mini soccer, I'm not sure to what you are referring, sorry.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Mini-soccer, small-sided soccer, U-little soccer: All have their own variety of rule modifications, many of them far outside the 5 variations allowed by the Laws of the Game. Nevertheless, if that's the way the powers that be in that league want the game played, that's what we do. You have to know each league's implementation of the rules, and the rules often change from one age group to the next.

Common modifications are to change all free kicks to being either all indirect (so as to not present an imminent scoring opportunity) or all direct (so the teams don't need to be taught what indirect means).