What Is A Corner Kick In Soccer?

One of the most exciting parts of a soccer game is when your team gets to take a corner kick. The opportunity is given to you to put the ball, almost unopposed, into the opposition penalty area where there is a good chance your team may get a shot on goal.

So many important goals have been scored from corner kicks throughout the history of soccer. Whether you are watching a soccer game from home or on the field playing it’s important that you know and understand all the rules around a corner kick. Especially as they are such an important part of the game.

A corner kick is a method of restarting play. When the ball goes out of bounds over the end line aka the "Goal Line" and was last touched by the defending team, the attacking team inbounds it from the nearest corner by kicking it in from the Corner Arc note: this doesn't apply if a goal was scored. Defenders must stay 6 yards back if U-8, 8 yards if U-10 & 10 yards back if U-12 or older. If they don't, they might get a yellow car. The ball may be placed anywhere inside the Corner Arc or on the Corner Arc lines. There are 2 types of corners: a Long Corner and a Short Corner. A player is not offside if he receives the ball from a Corner Kick. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves. A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick. The kicker may not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player. See Short Corner & Long Corner, and Offside Rule.

A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team.

A corner kick is awarded when the entire ball, having last touched a player of the defending team, passes over the goal line, either on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored following Law 10. Law 10 is "The Method of Scoring" and says that a goal is scored when the entire ball -- not just part of the ball -- passes over the goal line, between the goalposts, and under the crossbar, provided there wasn't a foul or law was broken in the process of scoring the goal (an example of when a goal would be disallowed is if the team scoring the goal was offside.

Procedure:

• The ball is placed inside the corner arc at the nearest corner flag post.
• The corner flag post is not moved.
• Opponents remain at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the corner arc until the ball is in play.
• The ball is kicked by a player of the attacking team.
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.
• The kicker does not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

The rules for a corner kick

1. The ball must be placed in the corner area nearest to where the ball crossed the goal line
2. The ball must be stationary when it’s kicked, and it has to be taken by someone from the attacking team
3. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves; it does not need to leave the corner area
4. The corner flag must not be moved
5. Opponents must remain at least 10 yds (9.15 m) from the corner arc until the ball is in play