5) Goal-kicks can be taken even if the ball is moving
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Come again, IFAB? What difference does it make?
A goal-kick is awarded when the ball goes out of play and the last person to make contact was an opposition player – be it via a shot on goal that was off target, a wayward pass, a mistake on the dribble or just an unlucky deflection in a 50-50 battle for the ball.
In every case, the goalkeeper must retrieve the ball and place it on the edge of the six-yard box before taking a goal-kick. Simple, right?
So where does a moving ball come into play? Will the goalkeeper be allowed to roll the ball forward before he kicks it while it is still on the move? And how far can he roll the ball since no other player (teammate or opponent) is allowed inside the box? Can the ball go outside the box before he kicks it since nobody else is allowed to touch it first?
Some may point to the fact that it prevents time-wasting but which goalkeeper would deliberately roll the ball forward when it isn’t compulsory? And if they did, referees should probably be stricter with their warnings and cautions (read as yellow cards) rather than make up a rule to get them to kick it upfield faster.
