A&H

Unsporting Goal Kicks?

Mick.

RefChat Addict
In the last match I refereed the goal keeper picked up a ball from behind the goal and placed it ready to take a "quick" goal kick. The ball that went out of play had been kicked some distance and the one the goalie was using was a spare. Opposition players were still on their way out of the penalty area when the goalie kicked it. I immediately blew him up and made him restart telling him that it was a bit unfair on the opposition as they did not seem to realise that there was a spare ball immediately available.
Later on in the game he tried it again. Before he kicked it I told him to wait until the opposition were out of the box. I seemed to recall that I had seen something in the LOTG about being in the penalty area. The goalie was none too happy about my decision on this as he clearly wanted to take a quickie. It did seem a little unsporting of him though as the opposition had kicked the ball some distance away from the goal and,as they were leaving the penalty area (backs to the play) the goalie was lining up to kick a new ball out.
LOTG make reference to opposition players not being able to enter the penalty area until the ball is in play (i.e. leaves the penalty area) but the issue about them still being in it is a little vague. As I said, it seems a little unsporting to take a quick goal kick in this manner and I am happy that I could sell it that it falls outside of the LOTG as there are opposition players in the box when the LOTG sort of says that they can't be until the ball is in play. I just wondered what others' thoughts/experiences were.
 
The Referee Store
You did well to sell it but i think the onus should be on the players retreating faster i.e fails to retreat and what they are doing is delaying the restart of play as the keeper cannot kick the ball out of the area without hitting one of them or changing an angle putting the keeper at a disadvantage
 
If you notice balls being kept behind the goal that's obviously what they are for, I'd have all the match balls at the half way point to save the keeper trying to pull a fast one.
 
I never allow balls to be kept anywhere near the goal during the game.

Our home teams are instructed to proved 3 match balls, all of which are checked by the referee pre-game. One is used for KO, and one is kept at each end of the half way line, off the pitch.

Ball gets hoofed miles, and there is always a coach/spectator/player near enough to get the spare and boot it up to the keeper for the kick.
 
Thanks all, for your input. I shall stop them keeping balls by the goals in future. Makes it a lot easier by the sounds of it.
 
There is nothing in the laws to stop such a tactic and nothing which says where spare balls should be kept during play, i don't believe (might be different if there are league specific rules on this). I don't think it is unsporting either (how is it different from the ball only just going behind and being retrieved by keeper and taken quickly?) but it does give the ref less time to get into position for the restart I guess!

I would have thought a lone ref would have enough to worry about without knowing the position of the spare balls, but if you can get away with it why not I guess. :)
 
Point taken. I know what you mean about the ball just going over the goal line, but if players see that they expect it to come back into play quite quickly. However, if they know that the ball was sent for miles they won't necessarily expect it back so quick.
Today, when the ball went for miles and the goalie picked up the spare I just called out "Ball is coming back into play players". I was satisfied that this would give the players an early heads up. Seemed to work today.
 
That shout would do the trick.

The goalie would only get away with this once before it would be expected by his opponents and it kind of teaches the opponents a valuable lesson anyway about the risks of not paying attention to what is going on and getting back into position quickly!
 
I see no reason why the onus should be on the attacking team to wait for the defending team to get ready to go.
 
The keeper did nothing wrong here:

1) Was the ball moving? No
2) Even if there are people in the penalty area, it is not an offence until they touch the ball, whilst still in the penalty area. The same for a free kick given to the defending team in the box.
 
The keeper did nothing wrong here:

1) Was the ball moving? No
2) Even if there are people in the penalty area, it is not an offence until they touch the ball, whilst still in the penalty area. The same for a free kick given to the defending team in the box.

I may be wrong but my understanding is that a goal kick is the only restart kick where the ball doesn't actually have to be stationary .. so #1 above isn't actually relevant
 
I may be wrong but my understanding is that a goal kick is the only restart kick where the ball doesn't actually have to be stationary .. so #1 above isn't actually relevant

For a goal kick, the ball must be stationary.
 
I was just about to say, in the LOTG, it says specifically for Law 13 - Free Kicks , the Procedure states = "...the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken...", but for Law 16 - The Goal Kick, the procedure states - "
-The ball is kicked from any point within the goal area by a player of the defending team
-Opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
-The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player
-The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area ".
 
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