Question Number: 33670

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/23/2019

RE: Under 19

Jerry of Los Angeles, CA USA asks...

If an IFK is taken yet the ball does not clearly move, is the correct restart to retake the kick or is it IFK the other direction? I have had players who think IFK is just 'touching' the ball so a teammate stands next to it and touches it with their foot but the ball goes nowhere

I assume proper restart is retaking the IFK and explaining why

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jerry
the LOTG are quite clear, kicked and move , usually we like a here to there kind of motion, not a wobble or stomp compression, through technically the ball is moving if ever so slightly. Where you need to be careful is the fake, I already kicked it, but pretend I did not and they dribble the ball away . Usually involves some sort of verbal subterfuge on a corner more than an INDFK

If both teams are OK in accepting a wee tap as sufficient and both teams are ok with continuing, is interrupting their version of the game necessary?
UNLESS you see a real need to enforce the position, hey guys I need to see it move, lets do better than that. A retake and early whistle before the second kick (actually the first as the 1st attempt did not meet the standard in your opinion) occurs is BETTER given a goal or miss outcome, one team or the other is likely irritated despite you as referee being correct in law and you not dropping your arm UNTIL that second touch occurs!

As you say the proper restart is retaking the INDFK and explaining why but perhaps a word early, guys lets take free kicks correctly. I need to see it kicked & move, no one encroach, look to my arm signal etc.. because INDFK in contentious areas like the PA have a way of creating a lot of frustration. You pull back a goal off a feeble first touch that had the defenders rushing in and a goal results that goes directly in without another touch by anyone . Going to to be more contentious than awarding a goal kick for a miss or play on after bouncing about.

Feigning for misdirection to create confusion or entice defenders in early. You cannot fault the defenders for closing the attackers down and think cautioning for failure to respect distance or delay the restart is a reasonable outcome GIVEN both teams were ok with the 1st kick/tap as reasonably putting the ball in play.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jerry
Feinting is allowed at free kicks. So it is not unusual to see a move to play the ball which does not happen.
The ball is in play when it is clearly kicked and moved. So if the first player does not kick and move the ball it is not in play. The restart is still the same.
The second kick clearly puts the ball in play so if it is an IDFK a goal cannot be scored directly and if the second kicker plays the ball for a second time it is a double touch infringement.
Have a look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46pnEQXfIu8
The ball was not put into play by White #25 so White #8 was guilty of a double touch infringement.
The restart should have been an IDFK for the conceding team at the location of the double touch which is what caused all the furore. Obviously the officials thought the ball was put into play by #25.
Had White #8 had a direct shot or cross then that kick would have put the ball into play.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jerry,
If the ball does not clearly move after being kicked then it it's not in play and the kick has not been taken. So technically, the kick cannot be retaken as it has not been taken yet. The correct 'decision' is to tell the player to take the kick correctly.

It can't be an IFK to the opposition as once again, the ball was not in play so the restart cannot be changed.

Mind you, it could (and often will) depend on what happens next. If the defenders start to rush forward thinking the kick has been taken, the referee might need to intervene, to call a halt to proceedings and get everyone back into position so the kick can be taken correctly.

It's also possible that a team mate of the kicker might kick the ball immediately after it was touched - in this case, the touch by the second player would actually put the ball into play and things could be allowed to continue (assuming the defenders have not encroached excessively). However the kick by the second player would then constitute the taking of the IFK and so could not then go directly into the net and be counted as a goal.