Free Kick Rules: Direct vs Indirect Free Kicks Explained
Free kicks restart play after a foul or other offence. Some can be shot straight into the goal, others must touch a second player first. Law 13 of the Laws of the Game sets out the details.
Direct free kick
A goal can be scored directly against the opponents. Direct free kicks are awarded for physical offences and handball, for example:
- kicking, tripping, pushing, striking, charging or jumping at an opponent carelessly, recklessly or with excessive force;
- holding an opponent or impeding them with contact;
- a handball offence (except by the goalkeeper inside their own penalty area);
- biting or spitting at someone.
If a direct free kick offence is committed by a defender inside their own penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded instead. Read the penalty kick rules.
Indirect free kick
A goal can only be scored if the ball touches another player (from either team) before entering the goal. If an indirect free kick goes straight into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded. Common reasons:
- offside;
- playing in a dangerous manner without contact, such as a high kick near an opponent's head;
- impeding an opponent without contact;
- goalkeeper offences inside the penalty area, such as handling a deliberate back-pass from a team-mate or holding the ball for more than the permitted time;
- dissent and other offences for which play is stopped to caution a player, when no other offence occurred.
How to tell them apart
For an indirect free kick, the referee raises an arm above the head and keeps it raised until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or gone out of play. For a direct free kick, the referee points in the direction of the kick with the arm held out. See more referee signals.
Taking the kick
- The ball must be stationary and is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves.
- The kicker cannot touch the ball again until another player has touched it.
- The kick can be taken quickly, before the wall is set, unless the referee has stopped play to show a card or organise the distance.
The 9.15-metre distance and the wall
Opponents must stay at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play. Many referees use vanishing spray to mark the spot and the line of the wall. If a defender encroaches and blocks the kick, the kick is retaken and the defender may be cautioned.
When the defending team forms a wall of three or more players, attackers must stay at least 1 metre away from the wall. This rule, introduced in 2019, stopped attackers from pushing and blocking inside the wall. Breaking it results in an indirect free kick to the defending team.
Free kicks inside the penalty area
When a defending team takes a free kick inside its own penalty area, the ball is in play as soon as it is kicked and moves; it no longer has to leave the area. An indirect free kick for the attacking team inside the goal area is taken from the nearest point on the goal area line parallel to the goal line. In that case defenders may stand on their own goal line between the posts even if they are closer than 9.15 metres.
Why free kicks matter
Set pieces produce a large share of goals in professional football, and specialist free-kick takers can turn fouls near the box into real chances. Many of the yellow cards you see in the Events tab of an EHScore match page are given for fouls that led to dangerous free kicks.