Question Number: 25242

Law 17 - Corner Kick 7/21/2011

RE: rec Under 16

Tom Maerz of Chatham, Ontario Canada asks...

My Question is for placement of the ball on a corner kick. If the ball is placed on the goal line and within the arc and the ball is then kicked but goes immediately out never completely entering the field of play, is the ball to be kicked again as a corner because it had never entirely entered the field of play or is it to be a goal kick? On a throw-in, I believe this is the way it happens so the question came up and I wanted to clarify!

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Just like on a throw in, the ball does not need to wholly cross the line to be in play.

'On the line' is 'in the field'. That's why the ball needs to wholly cross the line on the way out before it's out of play. On the way in? The moment any part of the ball is on or above part of the line, the ball is in.

Therefore, it's impossible to kick the ball directly out of play at a corner kick without the ball being in play and on the field first.

Same as a throw in. Often a player will throw the ball down the line and have the ball travel along the line then swerve out. The moment the ball is directly above the line, it's in play (of course, if you don't have an assistant to tell you if the ball travelled over the line, I'd give the player the benefit of the doubt).

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The ball starts on the field of play - on the line is in. So there is no 'never came in' for a corner kick like there is on a throw-in. (On a throw-in, a player may take the throw from behind the line.)

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

A ball is in play on a corner kick when it is kicked and moves. If that movement takes it right off of the field, then we have a ball that left the field over the goal line last touched by an attacking player.

My Law book says that's a goal kick restart.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It's a goal kick. There's no requirement that the ball leaves the corner arc before it is in play. It only has to be kicked and moves which it did.