THERE was an interesting video on the internet last week featuring a game between VIB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Stuttgart had a throw-in, well in their own half and with no Bremen players close by, the thrower decided to throw the ball back to his goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper knew he couldn’t handle the ball from a throw-in, so went to kick it, but it finished in the goal.

What wasn’t clear was whether he actually touched the ball or not.

But would it have made any difference?

If he made contact, it is obvious that it would have been an own goal.

If, however, he hadn’t touched it, the law says a goal cannot be scored direct from a throw-in, so the game would have been restarted with a corner.

If a ball should be thrown direct into an opponents’ goal, it would restart with a goal kick.

A similar ruling applies to the indirect free-kick but with one little twist.

At an indirect free a goal cannot, as the name implies, be scored direct and if the ball should go in the goal without touching anyone else, the game restarts with a goal kick.

But not everyone realises the referee must indicate an indirect kick by raising his arm above his head.

Years ago when refereeing at Wycombe Wanderers, I raised my arm after awarding an indirect free-kick, but took it down before the kick was taken.

The ball went direct into the goal, and it created a confrontation when I awarded a goal kick.

It taught me to always keep my arm up until the ball was either played or went out of play. If the ball went direct into the goal the players would see my arm still held high.

A few years later, this was actually incorporated into the Laws of the Game, but with one little addition.

If the referee fails to keep his arm up and the ball goes direct into the goal, the kick must be retaken.