Question Number: 30050

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 1/25/2016

RE: Competitive Under 16

Paul of Milton, ON Canada asks...

On a dropped ball, the LOTG state that a goal cannot be scored directly. However, would the goal count if a player receives the ball from a dropped ball, dribble it for 5-10 seconds then kicks the ball towards goal and it enters the goal without it touching another player?

The LOTG do NOT state that the ball must 'touch' another player for a goal to count, it just says it can't be kicked 'directly' into the goal from the drop.

Put another way, the player has passed the ball to themselves, thus touching the ball a second time from the drop and then kicking it into goal. Is this a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Paul
One of the more recent debating points. FIFA had sought clarification of this at a recent IFAB meeting with a law wording amendment to spell out directly and it was suggested that the planned update of the Laws which is due out soon should deal with it.
In the meantime the advice I would give a referee is to understand what is proposed at the dropped ball and to then ensure that it is adhered to.
My take on it is that in the spirit of the game a touch or two to tee it up followed by a kick would be directly. I would just say a goal cannot be scored directly from a dropped ball. End off. If on the other hand a player dribbles off with the ball after telling me and an opponent that he is giving the ball back needs to be dealt with. I would use the laws to stop play to deal with it such as verbally distracting an opponent or showing a lack of respect for the game.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Paul,
The recent change for a drop ball to not count a goal scored directly was implemented to prevent the accidental goals that occurred while trying to return the ball to the opposition in a fair play exchange. Most times the ball is dropped and then kicked on the bounce as a one time effort to say return the ball to the keeper or kick it out of play. The drop ball makes no reference to a 2nd touch violation as a restart it states only that a goal CANNOT be scored directly. So aside from the word police making conjecture it is safe to assume that a ball dribbled into the goal off a drop ball, the ball is not really entering the goal directly. Yet if a player was say to trap the ball on the bounce and then kick it back to the opposing keeper and that ball did find its way DIRECTLY into goal by accident a less technical referee might claim it was meant as a direct kick back to the keeper award the goal kick. Perhaps the new version of the LOTG might attempt to clear up this possible ambiguity.
Cheers