Goal kicks

The whole of the ball must cross the goal line, on the ground or in the air, without entering the goal. If a defender was the last to touch the ball, the restart is a corner instead.

The ball is placed anywhere inside the goal area — the smaller box inside the penalty area — and kicked back into play.

The ball must be stationary and placed inside the goal area before being kicked by a player on the defending team. In practice, the kicker is normally the goalkeeper or a defender. The ball is in play as soon as it has been clearly kicked and moves — it does not need to leave the penalty area before another player can touch it.

All opposing players must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Under the current rule, a teammate can receive the ball anywhere — including inside the penalty area — as soon as the ball has been clearly kicked. This was a major change. Before it, defenders had to clear the area at every goal kick, which often led to long aimless kicks down the pitch.

The change has made it much easier for teams to play out from the back. Defenders now collect short passes from the goalkeeper inside the area and look to build up the move from there.

A team that wants to keep possession will often pass the ball short from a goal kick, with defenders moving wide and a midfielder dropping in to receive. The aim is to draw the opposition forward and then play through them into the space behind.

Teams that prefer a more direct game still use long goal kicks, aiming at a forward player to win the header or flick on. Both approaches are valid — the choice depends on the team's style and the match situation.