Question Number: 34596

Law 16 - The Goal Kick 5/20/2022

RE: Rec Adult

Nathan of Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa asks...

What happens if the ball goes out for a goal kick but the goal keeper restarts the game incorrectly by kicking the ball from his hands outside his area?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Nathan
Thanks for the question

As the goal kick was not taken correctly the referee will stop the game and restart with a goal kick taken in the correct manner. There probably will be shouts of protest from the opponents about the ball moving or the ball kicked from the hands or from the wrong place so it should be an easy call to make.

From my experience the most common incorrect restart at a goal kick is a moving ball where a goalkeeper throws the ball to the ground inside the goal area and before it comes to rest the ball is kicked quickly. Like any kicked restart the ball must be stationery for the kick to be correctly taken. In those instances it is a retake as per Law 16

Now the referee needs to opine why the goalkeeper restarted in the way you describe which would be unusual. Was it not knowing the law such as being used to playing kickabouts or informal games which would be rare or was it done to use up time by delaying the proper restart. If it was done for unsporting reasons then the goalkeeper can be cautioned for unsporting behaviour of delaying the restart of play. A referee may just warn the goalkeeper and ask that there should be no repeat and the goal kick taken correctly in line with the Laws

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Nathan,
I would say this would be an unusual occurrence, not least because it would mean the match officials (or referee if the lone official) were not really paying attention.

In games with a full complement of officials, it is part of the duty of the Assistant Referee to ensure that the ball is correctly placed in the goal area at a goal kick. It would be quite an oversight not to notice that the goalkeeper is taking the ball all the way from behind the goal line to the edge of the penalty area and indeed beyond the area, without saying something directly and/or drawing the referee's attention to it.

Similarly, if the referee is working the game alone, then the job of ensuring the correct placement of the ball at a goal kick, falls to them.

So I would hope and expect that the match official(s) would spot this before the goalkeeper got that far, and direct them back to the correct location.

It it did happen though, as ref McHugh states, the correct decision, since the goal kick has not been properly taken, would be call a halt to proceedings and have the goal kick taken from the proper place and in the proper manner.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Nathan,
perhaps in a general kick around one might set aside normal restarts in an effort to keep playing for fun. However in truth, to not follow the LOTG after a ball has exited into touch beyond the goal line last touched by an attacker & then allow a keeper to retrieve then kick the ball outside his PENALTY AREA can NOT be justified! First off aside from the wrong way to restart the improper use of the hands during ongoing play is a DFK violation as the keeper can only use their hands inside their PA, unless by stating (his area) you were only referring to the 6-yard goal area, inside the 18-yard PA! Given the ball is supposed to be stationary and kicked on the ground from within that 6-yard goal area, the keeper's odd antics are not likely to be allowed in ANY real competitive setting! Best just put a kibosh on the whole thing and direct the keeper to restart per what the LOTG demand!
Cheers