Corner

When the defending team puts the ball out over the byline, the attacking team is awarded a corner kick which is taken from the quarter circle by the corner flag, also known as the ‘corner arc’. The corner must be taken nearest to the place where the ball went out of play; this is decided by the assistant referee signaling with their flag. The referee may help their assistant by signaling which corner the kick is to be taken.

How do corner kicks work in soccer?

After the officials have signaled that a corner has been awarded there is a procedure that must be followed which comes with certain rules.

• Once the ball is in place it must stay stationary before being kicked by the attacking player. This is so the attacking team does not gain any advantage over the opposing defense by using a moving ball.
• The ball does not always have to be played into the opposition goal area; it can be played short and kept in the corner area. This is often a tactic used at the end of a match to run down the clock and waste time.
• The player taking the corner must not touch the ball a second time before their teammate has played the ball first.
• The defending team’s players must be at least 10 yards away from the corner arc and this is usually marked out on the touch-lines to help the assistant enforce the rule.
• Players from either team must not touch the corner flag and it cannot be moved to aid the attacking team with their run-up or position when taking a corner.

If the above procedure is not followed by either team then the referee may decide to have the corner retaken. However, if rules are broken multiple times this can lead to a caution being awarded to the offending player.

Can you score a goal from a corner in soccer?

A goal is awarded if the ball crosses the line directly from the player taking the corner kick in soccer.

What happens if the ball hits the corner flag in soccer?

On occasions, the ball can come in contact with the corner flag during a soccer game. This may cause the ball to stay in play when it otherwise would have gone out for a corner. If the ball hits the corner flag stick and bounces back onto the pitch, the game continues as normal.