When is a goal kick given?
I · Intermediate · Kick-offs, free kicks, penalties and other restarts · 8 of 14A goal kick is given when the attacking team last touched the ball before the whole of it crossed the goal line, without a goal. Any defending player kicks it from anywhere in the goal area, and it is in play as soon as it moves. Opponents must be outside the penalty area until then. A goal can be scored straight from it against the opponents.
How it works
- The ball is still, anywhere in the goal area. Any defending player can kick it, not only the goalkeeper.
- It is in play when kicked and plainly moving. It does not have to leave the penalty area.
- Opponents stay outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.
- No offside directly from a goal kick.
- Straight into the kicker's own goal: corner kick to the opponents.
- A team deliberately delaying a goal kick can be given a five-second countdown. If it is not taken, the opponents get a corner kick (new in 2026/27).
Tricky cases
Can a defender receive a goal kick inside the penalty area?
Yes. The ball is in play as soon as it is kicked and moves.
Why did a goal kick turn into a corner?
The team delayed it, the referee started the five-second countdown and the kick was not taken in time.
Why the rule exists
Letting the ball be played inside the area helps teams build play from the back, and keeping opponents out of the area gives them that space.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All football under the Laws | As above; five-second countdown new in 2026/27 | L16; L Notes (countdown protocol) |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 16 and the throw-in and goal-kick countdown protocol, in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).