Question Number: 3013

Law 13 - Free Kicks

RE: 8 Adult

Kurt Lueken of New Paltz, NY NY asks...

U 13 game. Goalie steps out of the penalty area over the line with ball in hand while trying to punt. .I award an indirect free kick, raise my hand and tell both teams that I consider this kick indirect..Ball is shot directly into the goal by the attacking team, but goalie lets it go in on purpose, because I said indirect free kick. As the defending team gets ready to take the goal kick, I am re-thinking that something was wrong..It should have been a direct free kick (handball), so I awarded the goal before the defending team took the.GK ..This has been bothering me for quite a while. Thank goodness it did not decide the game. .I think I should have decided to repeat the IFK as a DFK..Soem days are just better than others.

Answer provided by Referee haselden

We're all human so don't be too hard on yourself!..I think your later thought to retake the kick would be the appropriate course of action. No one should feel cheated if you claim the mistake and proceed with the correct restart. The attacking team should not be denied the goal scoring opportunity and the defending team should not be penalized for doing what they have been coached to do in an IFK situation...We all learn from our mistakes - I doubt this happens to you again!

Answer provided by Referee Dawson

Hi Kurt. .I agree in such a case it would seem Law 18 would allow you to change your decision but if we examine FIFA Q&A on a similar vien of thought...http://www.fifa.com/refs/qa_E.html.#8.An indirect free kick is awarded to the attacking team outside its opponent's penalty area. The referee fails to raise his arm to indicate that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into goal.. .What action does the referee take?. .He awards only a goal kick because the initial offence, punished by an indirect free kick, is not nullified by the referee's mistake. ..I would be inclined to think in law you were correct to award the goal. Although you maybe boiled in oil for doing so. Mind you as a coach I would protest the heck out of it to the rules comittee if it was done just on principle. Yet if they can nullify a goal in the FIFA example I do not think you can retake your example for the same reason. What should have been a legal goal for the handling infraction was in fact a DFK. My concern would be it would result in a protest if you retook and they did not score. In all honesty I too would feel inclined to think a retake plausable unfortunately it would not be correct in law. You did the right thing even if it seems for the wrong reason. As my colleague suggests it is not likely to happen again you now know and move on to a better understanding . In a youth recreational game you could retake either senario and probably get away with it. You might even fudge your way out by saying the restart was taken improperly. But a retake is not correct in law in either circumstance Cheers