Hi All, A quick question. I've coached a few select teams over the past few years (U8 to U10 boys). I had a minor incident in a match last week that got me to doing some research. The opposing team was awarded an indirect free kick about 40 yards out (this is a small-sided field so that's well over half the field length, anyway...). Player #1 ran up and TAPPED the ball. It did not move at all. Player #2 ran up behind and drill one off our crossbar. (U10, 40 yards and it was a rocket!!). Now, back in my day the ball had to travel it's full circumfrence before it could be played by someone else. The referee insists the law was changed "recently" and my research on the internet has been ambiguous. What's the real deal? Thanks!
The laws say that the ball must be kicked and moved. It does not need to make one revolution. According to a USSF position paper, it is impossible for the ball to be touched in any way and not move. Therefore the referee got the call right. Considering that this was an U-10 match and that those matches usually get young and inexperienced referees, he's obviously very sharp.
The ball must be kicked and move. And if you remember your physics, it's pretty much the case that if he touched it, it moved. The goal is scored. I recall the way it used to be also, but that's not the way law 13 is written now. See http://www.fifa.com/fifa/handbook/laws/2002/LOTG2002_E.pdf for more details. Good luck and good soccer!
The current Laws of the Game (LOTG) can be found on the fifa web site at: http://www.fifa.com/fifa/handbook/laws/2002/LOTG2002_E.pdf According to Law 13: The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves. The old law required that the ball go its circumference before being played a second time. Before the crash, there was a lengthy discussion of whether a tap will always generate movement, if not always visible from a distance. My thought was that I want to see the movement before I judge it to have occurred. As described I would have awarded a goalkick, if I like you, did not see the ball move. Additional thoughts welcome. ... Just read the above posts after hitting the submit button. Oh well!
According to Sir Isaac Newton (God's referee if you will), a tap on the ball must precipitate some movement of (and within) the ball. Though we may not be able to measure it.
And according to current physics, the ball is always in motion, therefore the ball is never stationary so the free kick can never be taken. And I agree with my learned colleagues, a tap on the ball is sufficient to consider the ball to have been put into play. Great to hear about some U10 players (and the referee) that have such a keen sense of the game.
As I've said in another forum A tap is a touch is a kick is movement is legal is in play is ok is what I say.