[ayso45-refs] Converting indirect to direct kick

[Beau James]

Steve Pollitt wrote:

>I've noticed that there is a belief particularly by U12 boys, that it is a
>simple matter to convert an indirect kick into what is effectively a
>direct kick.  This involves a maneuver where the kicker lines up to kick
>the ball, then a teammate runs in from an unexpected direction and hops
>over the ball tapping it with his foot.  The expectation is that when the
>main kicker now kicks the ball, a goal can be scored.  In my experience
>the "tapper" rarely moves the ball so I leave my arm up but what if he did
>move it by a few inches just before the main kick?  Can a direct goal then
>be scored?  Is it Unsporting Conduct?
>  
>

For a corner kick, direct free kick, and indirect free kick, the ball is 
in play
as soon as it is kicked and moves.

The Advice to Referees covers this topic in it's best clear and 
unambiguous style:

    13.5 BALL IN PLAY

    The ball is in play (able to be played by an attacker other than the 
kicker or by an
    opponent) which it has been kicked and moved.  The distance to be 
moved is minimal
    and the "kick" need only be a touch of the ball with the foot in a 
kicking motion.  Simply
    tapping the top of the ball with the foot or stepping on the ball 
are not sufficient.

    When the restart of play is based on the ball being kicked and 
moved, the referee must
    ensure that the ball is indeed kicked (touched with the foot in a 
kicking motion) and moved
    (caused to go from one place to another).  Being "kicked" does not, 
for example, include
    an action in which the ball is dragged by continuous contact with 
the foot.  Being "moved"
    does not, for example, include the ball simply quivering, trembling, 
or shaking as a result of
    light contact.  The referee must make the final decision on what is 
and is not "kicked and
    moved" based on the spirit and flow of the match.

    The referee must judge carefully whether an particular kick of the 
ball and subsequent
    movement was indeed reasonably taken with the intention of putting 
the ball into play
    rather than with the intention merely to position the ball for the 
restart.  If the ball is just
    being repositioned (even if the foot is used to do this), play has 
not been restarted.
    Likewise, referees should not unfairly punish for "failing to 
respect the required distance"
    when an opponent was clearly confused by a touch and movement of the 
ball which was
    not a restart.

    The referee must make the final decision on what is a "kick" and 
what is "not a kick"
    based on his or her feeling for the game - what FIFA calls 
"Fingerspitzengefuhl" (literally:
    sensing with one's fingertips").  The bottom line is that not 
everything that produces
    movement of the ball is a kick and thus would not legally put the 
ball into play in any
    of the kicking restarts.

The language in this section has changed considerably in the past couple 
of years.
In particular, the comment:

    Simply tapping the top of the ball with the foot or stepping on the 
ball are not sufficient.

was added, along with much of the following discussion.

I think it is reasonable to conclude that the "tap the ball" maneuver, 
which had become
increasingly common and was being permitted under the "minimal movement" 
clause, has
been ruled insufficient to restart play.

Keep that arm raised, and at an appropriate opportunity, explain this to 
the players.

Beau

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