If a goalkeeper deliberately picks up the ball after a goal kick without it being touched by another player, what should the referee do?

When a goalkeeper deliberately picks up the ball after a goal kick without it being touched by another player, the correct action is to award an indirect free kick to the opposing team. This situation arises because the Laws of the Game specify that the ball must be touched by a player (either from the same team or the opposing team) before the goalkeeper is allowed to handle it again after a goal kick.

In this case, the goalkeeper's action constitutes a violation of the specific rules governing goal kicks, where the ball is not in play until it has been touched by a player from the team taking the goal kick. Awarding an indirect free kick is the appropriate response to ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the game.

Other responses, such as allowing play to continue, awarding a drop ball, or issuing a warning to the goalkeeper, do not address the violation of the rules. Allowing play to continue would ignore the infraction, a drop ball is not correct as it doesn't apply to this situation, and issuing a warning does not reflect the appropriate enforcement of the game’s regulations. Thus, awarding an indirect free kick serves to penalize the improper action while reinstating the flow of the game in a fair manner.