If a keeper is hurt and play is stopped, what happens if a teammate kicks the ball over the goal line?

When play is stopped due to an injury to the goalkeeper, the appropriate response is to restart play with a dropped ball. This is because the interruption to the game was not a result of a foul or an infringement committed by either team, but rather a circumstance that necessitated a stoppage—specifically, the injury of a player.

In this instance, if a teammate of the injured goalkeeper kicks the ball over the goal line, it does not change the nature of the stoppage. The rules stipulate that when play resumes after an injury-related stoppage, a dropped ball is the correct method for restarting play. This ensures fairness, as both teams have the opportunity to compete for possession of the ball upon resumption.

The other options are not appropriate in this situation because they relate to different scenarios: a goal kick is used after the attacking team last touched the ball out of play, a throw-in occurs when the ball goes out of play across the sideline, and a direct free kick is awarded for a foul. Each of these scenarios does not apply when the stoppage is due to an injury, reinforcing why the dropped ball is the correct restart method in this scenario.