Question Number: 34748

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/30/2022

RE: Other

Colin Allen of Chesterfield, Derbyshire United Kingdom asks...

A player takes a quick free kick but the ball is moving. A defensive player who is only 2yards away from the ball, blocks the pass.
What is the referee’s decision?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Colin ,
likely a ceremonial retake!

The ball can not be moving to restart, under the LOTG it is to be stationary at the point of origin then kicked into play. .

The opponents cannot move in to block or prevent that is cautionable misconduct for delaying the restart or failing to respect the ten yards. Under the LOTG the opponents need to make some effort to withdraw to ten yards in a timely manner once the freekick is awarded

Now if the kicker takes a chance to restart quickly with opponents nearby, that is a risk . When the opposition are still in the process of withdrawing, they can react only -after- the ball is kicked. If the ball is intercepted or blocked play continues. If they see the kick is about to go off and they react to move to thwart it, that is NOT allowed!

As long as the referee has a clear view and was satisfied the ball was spotted correctly and the opposition was making no effort to interfere this could be play on. If the referee saw the ball as clearly not stationery and or the opposition not withdrawing ,an easy whistle to halt and make it a ceremonial restart.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Colin,
The ball has to be stationary for the free kick to be taken - if it is not, the ball has not legally been put into play and anything that happens afterwards is immaterial.

So for me, this has to be a retake

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Colin
The free kick is retaken from the same location with the ball completely at rest.

As a free kick could not be taken through a moving ball there is no sanction against the opponent. Indeed if the opponent was moving away and intercepted the ball after a correct restart on say a quick free kick the referee will allow play to continue.
A referee might speak to the opponent to warn that had the kick been taken properly it could result in a caution for failing to respect the correct distance at a restart if that indeed was the case.

Interesting in that a moving ball at a restart is nearly always called as a retake. A referee might let a free kick be taken from the wrong location yet the moving ball gets called.