This article has been updated to comply with the Laws of the Game 2023/24. It lists all the rule changes in the Laws of the Game and other association football codices before 1886 I know of. More on trials or withdrawn and defeated football rule proposals discussed at the Annual General Meeting of The IFAB on request (Contact).
In this article the development of the goal kick is described.
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Note: Until the FA Rules, there is no distinction between (early forms of the) goal kick and corner kick. The same laws always apply for the restart of the game as soon as the ball is behind the goal – outside the goalposts. The differentiation between goal kick and corner kick nowadays was introduced 1867/1872.
| Year (Source) | new or changed laws (proposing club/association, if known) |
| 1857 (Eton Field Game) | After the ball is behind the goal, the game will be restarted with a bully opposite the point where the ball had gone out. |
| 1858 (Sheffield FC) | Goal kick from a point 25 yd behind the goal. |
| 1858 (Harrow Football) | When the ball is behind the goal it must be kicked directly on the field. There, it must be first touched be the attacking team before the defending team is allowed to touch it. |
| 1862 (Blackheath FC) | When the ball is behind the goal the game restart with a place kick from the goal line by the team that owned the goal. |
| 1862 (The Simplest Game) | When the ball is behind the goal the game restart with a place kick from the goal line by the team that owned the goal. |
| 1863 (Shrewsbury School) | When the ball is behind the goal the game restart with a place kick by the opposing team (place not specified), either as an unhindered kick or as a „hoist“ (nowadays: a volley). |
| 1863 (Cambridge University) | When the ball is behind the goal the game restart with a place kick 25 yd behind the goal. Which team perform the kick is not mentioned. |
| 1863 (FA) | When the ball is behind the goal, it is crucial which team touched it first. If it was behind his own goal, there was a kick from the goalpost, at the point where the ball crosses the goal line. Here it is also noted that an offside position is not possible at the kick and it is an indirect free kick. |
| 1867 (Sheffield FA) | In the Sheffield FA Rules there’s nothing about goal kick. |
| 1867 (FA) | When a player kicks the ball behind the opposite goal, the goal owning team get’s a goal kick from that goalpost which was nearer to the point, where the ball went behind the goal. |
| 1902 (IFAB) | Change: The goal kick is no longer performed within 6 yd by the nearest goal-posts, but from the nearest place where the ball left the field (FA).
The goal kick no longer has to be performed in a radius of 6 yards around the next goal post, but inside the goal area.
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| 1914 (IFAB) | Change of the distance for opponents from six to ten yd (FA). |
| 1936 (IFAB) | The goalkeeper may no longer pick up the ball from a goal kick with his hands (SFA) |
| 1938 (IFAB) | Change: The goal-kick is performed within that half of the goal area nearest the point where the ball left the field of play. The ball must leave the penalty area to be in play. Change of the text, which is reduced to the fact that as with an IDFK no goal may be scored directly from a goal kick. If the ball is touched repeatedly by the performer, the game is stopped and restarted by an IDFK. If the ball is not kicked out of the penalty area at the goal kick, the kick is retaken. The ball must not be played directly into the goalkeeper’s hands at the goal kick. |
| 1948 (IFAB) | Modification that the distance is not always 10 yd, but that the opponents must be outside the penalty area whilst the kick its taken (FA). |
| 1978 (IFAB) | It is added that – when a player commits an infringement in his opponent’s goal area – the free-kick shall be taken from a point anywhere within that half of the goal area nearest to where the offence occurred (FA). |
| 1980 (IFAB) | Specification that opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play (FIFA). |
| 1987 (IFAB) | Supplement that when performing the restart by an IDFK the general conditions for free kicks as stated in Law 13 apply (FA). |
| 1992 (IFAB) | Change: The goal kick must be performed from any point within the goal area (FIFA). |
| 1997 (IFAB) | Change: Now a goal can be scored directly from a goal kick. The ball is in play as soon as it is behind the penalty area.
The sanctions for infringing the goal kick are defined in more concrete terms.
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| 2016 (IFAB) | It is added in the text that the ball must be stationary during performance. |
| 2019 (IFAB) | From now on, the ball is already in play when it has been kicked and clearly moves. |