Corner kick

A corner kick, commonly known as a corner, is the method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a member of the defending team. The kick is taken from the corner of the field of play nearest to the place where the ball crossed the goal line.

Corners are considered to be a reasonable goal-scoring opportunity for the attacking side, though not as much as a penalty kick or a direct free kick near the edge of the penalty area.

A corner kick that scores without being touched by another player is called an Olimpico goal, or less commonly, Olympic goal.

A corner kick is awarded when the ball wholly crosses the goal line outside of the goal frame having been last touched by a member of the team defending that end of the pitch. For the purposes of this rule, it does not matter if this touch is deliberate; it is permissible to kick the ball at an opponent to win a corner kick.

A corner kick is also awarded instead of an own goal when the ball enters a team's goal, having been last touched by a member of the defending team, in the following rare situations:

The corner kick is taken from whichever corner was closer to the point where the ball went out of play.

Beginning in 2025, should a goalkeeper hold on to the ball for more than 8 seconds, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing side from the nearest corner to where this occurred. This rule was implemented to deter time-wasting and such penalisations are expected to be rare.

If the kick is taken with a moving ball, or from the wrong place, the corner kick is retaken.