Is the ball going over the sideline instead?
A four-step routine and what England Football says about sideline restarts by age.
Read about the throw-inExplaining Corner and Goal Kicks to a Child: Last Touch Decides
Kit, Rules & Safety
Corner or goal kick? Whoever touched the ball last gives it away.
Explaining corner and goal kicks to a child works best as one sentence and a two-minute garden demonstration, where your child gets to be the attacker and then the defender.
When the whole ball goes over the goal line, a defender's last touch gives the attackers a corner, and an attacker's last touch gives the defenders a goal kick (IFAB Law 16, IFAB Law 17, IFAB Law 9). A corner is taken from the corner, a goal kick from near the goalkeeper. The wording is checked against Laws 16 and 17 of the Laws of the Game (2026/27), and England Football's youth formats change a few details, so check your child's league (England Football mini-soccer handbook).
For a long time I called every ball over the back fence a corner, because it sounded more exciting than "a goal kick", and I only found out that was wrong when I read Law 17.
The sentence to teach
Goal Kick Explained Simply: One Sentence
Here is the sentence for your child to say back: "Whoever touched it last gives it away: a defender's touch gives a corner, an attacker's touch gives a goal kick."
Attackers are the team going towards that goal. Defenders are the team guarding it. The goalkeeper counts as a defender.
The ball is out only when it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline, so a ball that is only half over is still in play (IFAB Law 9).
A handy memory cue is "last touch, then swap". It is shorthand, not a Law, and the restart always goes to the other team. It is the child's version, and two details come back in the section on how each kick is taken: where it is taken from and what the kicker may not do.
Both are kicks, and neither can be offside. Nobody can be offside straight from a goal kick or a corner, and the offside page has the wording.
Two minutes, one ball
A Two-Minute Garden Demo: You Play Both Sides
- 1
Goal line and goal. Lay a line of shoes or a skipping rope as the goal line, with two cones or shoes as a goal in the middle. Make a proper goal if you want one.
- 2
Corner and goal-kick spots. Put a cushion in one corner where the line meets the edge of the lawn, and a tea towel or a hoop in front of the goal as the goal-kick spot.
- 3
Attacker's last touch. Your child kicks gently so the ball rolls over the line off their foot. Ask: "Your touch was last. Whose kick is it?" The answer is the defenders' goal kick, from the tea towel.
- 4
Defender's last touch. Now your child stands in goal as the defender and blocks, so the ball goes over the line off their foot or hand. Ask: "Their touch was last. Whose kick is it?" The answer is the attackers' corner, from the cushion.
- 5
Swap, then call. Swap roles. Roll three balls over the line by turns and let your child call "corner" or "goal kick" before the next restart.
"Shall we play last touch? I'll roll it out, and you tell me whose it was."
For a muddle: "Close. Whose foot was last on it?"
Use a soft ball only. Any call that comes out wrong just gets collected and tried again; the point is to say the sentence out loud while the ball is rolling.
Last touch, then swap
Football Restarts for Beginners: Whose Kick Is It?
Here are the cases children actually ask about. Find what you see, then say the last column out loud.
| What you see | Whose restart | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| A shot goes wide off an attacker and the whole ball goes over the end line | The defenders' goal kick (IFAB Law 16) | "Your touch was last, so it's their goal kick." |
| A defender blocks a shot and it rolls over the line | The attackers' corner (IFAB Law 17) | "Their touch was last, so it's our corner." |
| The goalkeeper tips a shot over the bar | The attackers' corner (IFAB Law 17) | "The goalkeeper is a defender, so that touch gives a corner." |
| The ball hits the post and goes over the line | Whoever touched it last before the post decides | "Who kicked it before the post?" |
| Only part of the ball is over the line | Play goes on (IFAB Law 9) | "Not all of it, so keep going." |
| The ball crosses the sideline, not the goal line | Not a corner or goal kick | "That's a sideline restart." The throw-in page has the age table and the four steps. |
When you cannot agree on who touched it last, a referee would just decide in a real match. In a garden game, pick one answer, say it out loud and carry on. That is a house rule, not a Law.
At the corner and at the goal
Corner Kick Rules for Kids: How Each Kick Is Taken
Goal kick (Law 16)
The ball is still, and a player of the defending team kicks it from within the goal area. It is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. A goal can be scored directly from it, but only against the other team (IFAB Law 16).
The kicker may not touch it again until another player has. A second touch is an indirect free kick (IFAB Law 16). For what that means, see what an indirect free kick is: arm up means somebody else has to touch it first.
Corner (Law 17)
The ball goes in the corner area nearest where it crossed the goal line, and a player of the attacking team kicks it. It is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves, and it does not need to leave the corner area (IFAB Law 17).
Opponents stay at least 9.15 m (10 yards) away from the corner arc until it is in play (IFAB Law 17). A goal can be scored directly, against the other team only, and a second touch by the kicker is an indirect free kick.
England Football's youth handbook (2025/26 season)
The handbook says a goal kick can be taken from any point within the penalty area, where Law 16 says the goal area. The team without the ball retreats to its own half until the ball is in play (England Football mini-soccer handbook).
For a corner, the handbook says defenders stay at least 5 yards from the ball on its corner page, and five metres on its restarts page. At home, about five steps back is plenty. There is no offside in that format (England Football mini-soccer handbook).
The Laws are written for the full game and the handbook is the older 2025/26 version, so what a league does today may differ.
Check before you practise
What England Football Says for Your Child's Format
Here is what England Football's published text says for each youth format, including where it says nothing about goal kicks or corners.
| Format | Age group | What England Football's text says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3v3 | Under-7s (2026-27) | "Players have the option to either dribble or pass in at all restarts (goal line, corners, sidelines and free kicks)". Opponents at least 3m back; for goal-line restarts, opponents retreat to their own half. | 3v3 guidance, closer look at 3v3 (undated) |
| 5v5 | Under-8s and under-9s (2026-27) | Retreat line yes, no offside. The page does not spell out goal kicks or corners. | 5v5 guidance |
| 7v7 | Under-10s and under-11s (2026-27) | Retreat line yes, no offside. The page does not spell out goal kicks or corners. | 7v7 guidance |
| 9v9 | Under-12s and under-13s (2026-27) | Offside introduced, retreat line no. The page does not spell out goal kicks or corners. | 9v9 guidance |
| Mini-soccer handbook | Under-7s to under-10s (2025/26) | Goal kick and corner kick as in the section above, with the retreat line. | mini-soccer handbook |
In England Football's 3v3 description, the youngest players dribble or pass the ball in at corners and goal-line restarts. So your child's club game may never use a kicked corner the way the Law describes, while school, a family kickabout and the step up to bigger formats do.
Check with whoever runs the league, because this is England grassroots guidance for 2026-27, not a rule for schools or other nations. These pages change by season, so treat the table as a starting point. For the same age-by-age picture of the sideline, see the throw-in page.
In the middle of a game
When Two People Both Say 'Not Mine'
I used to settle these with "it was your touch" and "no it wasn't" until I realised I was refereeing a game nobody had asked me to referee.
"Shall we do last touch? Whose foot was it?"
For a child who is upset about losing the kick: "That felt unfair, I know. Last touch, our corner, go again."
Try a fixed answer in the garden, such as "if in doubt, the goalkeeper's side gets the goal kick". That is a house rule, not a Law, and it ends the argument quickly.
On the sofa, a corner is a good thing to spot together while a match is on, and watching football with your child has ideas for that.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say, and Where They Stop
The last-touch rule, the goal area and the corner area come from Law 16 on the goal kick, Law 17 on the corner kick and Law 9 on the ball in and out of play (2026/27). The 9.15 m distance and the indirect free kick for a second touch come from those same Laws.
The goal kick from anywhere in the penalty area, the retreat line and the corner defenders staying back come from England Football's mini-soccer handbook, updated August 2025.
In the 3v3 format, players pass or dribble in at goal-line restarts and corners, per England Football's 3v3 guidance (published 8 December 2025) and England Football's closer look at 3v3. The 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9 pages list retreat line and offside rules but not goal kicks or corners.
None of these tests how children learn corners or goal kicks, and no source read says how often a young child's club game uses them. The Laws are written for referees and the full game, the handbook is the older season, and a school or another nation may differ. The Laws are revised each season, so this is the wording live on 15 October 2026.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Corner and Goal Kicks
How do I explain corner and goal kicks to a child?
Use one sentence and a demo: whoever touched the ball last gives it away. A defender's touch gives a corner and an attacker's touch gives a goal kick (IFAB Law 16, IFAB Law 17, IFAB Law 9).
What is the difference between a corner and a goal kick?
A corner is taken by the attackers from the corner. A goal kick is taken by the defenders from near their goal. The last touch decides which (IFAB Law 16, IFAB Law 17, IFAB Law 9).
Can you score straight from a corner or a goal kick?
Yes, but only against the other team. A ball that goes straight into the kicker's own goal gives the opponents a corner (IFAB Law 16, IFAB Law 17).
Can the kicker touch the ball twice?
No. Under Laws 16 and 17 a second touch before another player gives an indirect free kick (IFAB Law 16, IFAB Law 17).
Is there offside from a corner or goal kick?
No. The offside page has the wording.
Do under-10 matches in England use corners and goal kicks?
The 2025/26 mini-soccer handbook describes both, with a retreat line (England Football mini-soccer handbook). For 2026-27, under-10s play 7v7, and England Football's 7v7 page does not spell out goal kicks or corners. Only its under-7 3v3 description has players pass or dribble in at goal-line restarts and corners (England Football 3v3, England Football Future Fit 3v3). Ask your league.
What if we cannot agree who touched it last?
In a garden game, pick one answer, say it out loud and carry on. A referee would decide in a match.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what is happening on your lawn.
Does your child keep asking about offside?
One sentence and a two-minute demo with two cushions and a ball.
Read about offsideWant somewhere to rehearse all this?
Mark a small pitch with a goal line, a goal and four corners on your own lawn.
Read about a garden pitchTonight's five minutes
Roll three balls over the line and ask whose kick it is.
Shoes for a goal line, a cushion for the corner, a tea towel for the goal kick. Let your child be the attacker, then the defender, and say the sentence out loud.