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The Goal Kick - The Longest Kick In The Game!

This is the Goal Kicks Page of the How to Play Soccer-Soccer School on Spain-Football.Org. Scroll down the page for the rules, tips and techniques, videos, book recommendations and lots more interesting stuff!

The goal kick is one of my favourite moments in the game.

Taken well - by a great goalkeeper like Casillas - it can launch an attack. Taken badly it's a wasted opportunity.

A goal kick is taken when the ball crosses the goal line - outside the posts - after having been touched for the last time by a player from the opposing team.

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Taking A Goal Kick

Although normally taken by the goalkeeper from the same position, the goal kick can be taken from anywhere within the 6 yard box by any member of the defending team and the ball is in play as soon as it leaves the box.

More Rules

The players from the opposing team must remain outside the penalty area and the player taking the goal kick can only touch the ball once without it being touched by a player from the opposing team.

If he does kick it twice, the referee should signal an indirect free kick in favour of the other side.

Can You Score From a Goal Kick?

You certainly can score a goal directly from a goal kick - but interestingly you can't score an own goal.

If the ball accidently goes into your own net, the referee will disallow the goal and signal a corner to the opposing team.

Great Goalkeeping Mistakes

This video is absolutely brilliant, but it's also very sad - it shows some of the worst goalkeeping mistakes in history.

Fortunately, no Spanish goalkeepers are included - it makes me think how lucky we are to have Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina defending our goal.

I also breathe a sigh of relief because Victor Valdés - FC Barcelona's goalkeeper isn't on the video either.

He's made a few bad mistakes in his time, but none quite as bad as these!

The Soccer Goalkeeper

I have to be honest with you - I used to play on the right wing and I was an absolutely terrible goalkeeper. And even though I love the Beautiful Game with all my soul, reading a book about goalkeeping techniques is just too much - even for me!

However, luckily I've got lots of friends who still play or coach and my good mate Johnno reckons The Soccer Goalkeeper is one of the best books around.

Apparently, it covers all aspects of the goalkeeper's game - from catching to footwork and even goes into the psychology of being a goalkeeper. So if you're your team's last line of defence, it sounds to me like this is the book for you!

Click Here for a great Selection of Goalkeeping Books and Accessories on Amazon.co.uk and Here for Amazon.Com

Are You A Player, Coach, Parent or Referee?

As I do more and more research on the Internet on football-related topics I come across an ever increasing number of fantastic resources. Here are a few of the best ones I´ve found so far but with time this could turn into a complete section on different aspects of the art of playing and coaching.

Blast The Ball is quite simply the best video available for learning all about kicking a soccer ball – covers everything from techniques, aerodynamics, parts of the ball etc. The promotional video is certainly worth watching as it is a lesson in itself.

Total Soccer Fitness is a free fitness course that comes in five email instalments and is ideal for players, parents and coaches alike.

Soccer Tutor is a set of 250 Soccer Drills endorsed by Adidas, Umbro and Leyton Orient amongst others. If you coach a youth team and want to work on their soccer skills, this selection will keep you in ideas for season after season as your players advance from beginner to professional. It´s particularly useful if you plan on taking your your FA or UEFA coaching licence and even if you're only interested watch the demo video – it's excellent. The guy that does the voiceover is so obviously a football professional. Game of two halves, innit?

The Fastbreak Soccer Practice Book Although not quite as intuitive as Soccer Tutor also contains Soccer Drills, this ebook is worth having a look at if only for the free Training Schedules available in PDF format.

Elite Soccer Coach is a very handy guide for football coaches and comes with two more ebooks on Fitness and Formations.

Improve Your Kick With Blast The Ball

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