A goalkeeper prepares to take a goal kick and places the ball on the ground (but does not touch it afterwards). The ball remains stationary inside the goal area and a player from the goalkeeper’s team picks it up with their hands to move it. What is the correct decision?

THE DECISION

Handling the ball cannot result in a penalty kick as the ball was not in play. If the team is deliberately delaying the goal kick, the referee may use their whistle and/or voice to indicate that they should hurry up. To start the five-second countdown the referee blows the whistle, signals with their hand/arm for the goal kick to be taken and counts down the five seconds with a raised hand. If the ball is not in play by the end of the five seconds, the referee awards a corner kick to the opposing team. There is no caution, unless the goalkeeper or their team-mate then excessively delays the taking of the corner kick by the opposing team.