First Touching of a Free Kick

[cbrunnjo]

Is it possible to have first touching down field on a Free Kick?

[InsideTheStripes]

Define "downfield".

If you are asking if you can have first touching once the ball crosses R's free-kick line, the answer is NO.

2-12-1
During a free kick it is first touching if the ball is touched in the field of play by any K player before it crosses R’s free-kick line and before it is touched there by any R player

[mbyron]

As ITS points out, first touching on a free kick can occur only when the ball is still in the neutral zone. Once the ball is past R's free kick line (or "downfield"), K may recover it.

In coach-speak, "That's a live ball, get on it!". (Google translator provided that for us ).

[cbrunnjo]

Got it - for some reason I was thinking that if K tried to jump on ball when it was past the R's restraining line and touched it but did not cover/possess the ball it was first touching since a kick is a kick until possessed.

[bama_stripes]

Got it - for some reason I was thinking that if K tried to jump on ball when it was past the R's restraining line and touched it but did not cover/possess the ball it was first touching since a kick is a kick until possessed.

It's only first touching if K touches a ball they can't legally possess.  Otherwise it's simply a muff.

But you're right in thinking that the kick still hasn't ended.

[mbyron]

Got it - for some reason I was thinking that if K tried to jump on ball when it was past the R's restraining line and touched it but did not cover/possess the ball it was first touching since a kick is a kick until possessed.

The term 'first touching' isn't entirely felicitous, as your case points out. K touches the ball, and they touch it first, but it's not first touching! Oh well.