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Law #13		Law #13 Extra
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Types of Free Kicks

Free kicks are either direct or indirect.

For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken and the kicker does not touch the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

The Direct Free Kick

- If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal is awarded
- If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team

The Indirect Free Kick

Signal

The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.
Ball Enters the Goal

A goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal.

- If an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded
- If an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team

Position of Free Kick

Free Kick Inside the Penalty Area

Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:

- All opponents are at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball
- All opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
- The ball is in play when it is kicked directly beyond the penalty area
- A free kick awarded in the goal area is taken from any point inside that area

Indirect free kick to the attacking team:

All opponents are at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball until it is...

- In play, unless they are on their own goal line between the goalposts
- The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves
- An indirect free kick awarded inside the goal area is taken from that part of the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal line,
- At the point nearest to where the infringement occurred

Free Kick Outside the Penalty Area

All opponents are at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball until it is in play

- The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves
- The free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred

Infringements/Sanctions

If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance:

- The kick is retaken

If, when the defending team from inside its own penalty area takes a free kick, the ball is not kicked directly into play:

- The kick is retaken

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball a second time (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
- A penalty kick is awarded if the infringement occurred inside the kicker's penalty area

Free kick taken by the goalkeeper

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper touches the ball a second time (except with his hands), before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the Infringement occurred outside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.
- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred inside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

To recognize when free kick should be awarded
&
How they should be taken properly - also how to deal with restarts and infringements:

1. Introduction: 2. Types of Free Kicks: 3. The Direct Free Kick: 4. The Indirect Free Kick: 5. Position of Free Kick: 6. Indirect Free Kick to the Attacking Team: 7. Free Kick Outside the Penalty Area: 8. Infringements and Sanctions: 9. Questions & Answers

1. Introduction:

During the course of a game, a Referee will need to award two types of free kicks.

A Direct Free Kick is awarded when a penal offence is committed. (See Law 12 DFK for penal offences).

An Indirect Free Kick is when a non-penal offence has been committed. (See Law 12 IFK for non-penal offences).

The main difference between these two types of free kicks is that a goal can be scored directly from a Direct free kick, without the ball touching another player. A goal cannot be scored direct from an indirect free kick - the ball must touch another player before it enters the goal.

A free kick is a method of restarting the game after an infringement or foul has been committed during play. The kick is called 'Free' because it is supposed to be "freely" taken by the team to which it has been awarded, and without any interference, hindrance, or delay by the opposing team. Free kicks are awarded for fouls, misconduct or offside decisions awarded against players on the field of play, and whilst the ball is still in play. A direct free kick is given if play is stopped for a penal foul committed by a player against an opponent on the field of play (a direct free kick offence committed by a defender within his own penalty area is punished by a penalty kick being given to the attacking team -- see Law 14, Penalty Kick). An indirect free kick is given if play is stopped for a dangerous play offence, impedance, or if play is stopped solely to deal with verbal misconduct committed on the field by a player (such as dissent), or for an offside offence. A free kick may be taken in any direction (this does not apply to penalty kicks where the ball must travel forwards.)

RESTARTS WITHIN THE GOAL AREA

Special rules in Law 8 govern free kick restarts within the goal area:

- A free kick awarded to the defending team inside its own goal area can be taken from any point within the goal area.

- An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents' goal area, is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred. (This is actually advantageous to the attacking team, as they have more room to take the kick.)

- A dropped ball to restart the match after play has been temporarily stopped inside the goal area, takes place on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped

STOPPAGE FOR MISCONDUCT

If play is stopped solely to deal with misconduct occurring away from the play action committed by a player on the field of play, the indirect free kick restart is taken from the place where the misconduct occurred.

If the Referee decides to apply an advantage to the opposing team and then subsequently stops play to administer the Caution when the advantage does not accrue - the indirect free kick restart must be taken from the place where the original misconduct (foul) occurred.

There are a number of factors to consider in a very short time scale, when awarding a free kick.

Firstly, the Referee has to identify that a foul has been committed (or not): He has to decide instantly what to do: Which team to award the kick to? Is it direct or indirect? Where should the kick be taken from? Do players have to wait for the Referee before taking the kick? Can the ball be kicked directly into goal without touching another player? How far away should opponents be from the ball? Where should the Referee stand? Should he move away? Should he organize the free kick? What should he do? When should he do it: Can he do it: Is it within the Laws: etc. etc....

When you analyze exactly what the Referee needs to do within a matter of seconds, it becomes quite frightening. Luckily, the human brain makes most of these decisions automatically - and of course, Refereeing experience will ease the pressure.

Many different factors can effect the taking of a free kick - the position of the ball, the type of foul, the position of the opponents and the kicker's teammates and very often the involvement of the Referee. Referees must therefore be organized and anticipate play to enable them to react appropriately to each new situation.

When a Referee blows his whistle to indicate that an offence has been committed, the first thing that he must do, is to indicate which team has been awarded the free kick. However, most fouls are plainly obvious - and no direction signals from the Referee are required. An indirect free kick should be indicated by the Referee putting one arm straight up in the air (as shown below) and holding it there until the indirect free kick has been taken properly, and the ball either touches another player (other than the kicker) or goes directly out of play. This is the only hand signal within the Laws that a Referee is required to make during any type of free kick. Players should be educated to recognize and understand the indirect free kick signal. If the arm is not up, then it is a normally (but not necessarily) a direct free kick and the kicker can score a goal directly without the ball having to touch another player.

The Referee is not legally obliged to make the indirect free kick arm signal, but is very strongly advised to do so, and to get into the habit of automatically indicating the direction for all kicks. This focuses the mind, and increases the understanding and communication between the Referee, Referee Assistants, the spectators, officials and the players.

The free kick is one of the few occasions within a game when teams can inject a specific structure (or set-piece move that has been tried on the training field) into what is a very dynamic and fast moving game. Set pieces can vary greatly, and are based both upon the area in which they occur and on the football talent available within the team. A team taking a free kick inside its own penalty area will normally try and kick the ball as far up field as possible or they may decide to take a quick short kick to a colleague, or pass a long diagonal ball across the field of play.

Defensive players need to know how, where and when to set walls; how far to retreat; whether to mark opponents or to defend a zone. Normally, defensive walls are lined up within the prescribed 10 yards distance. If the proper distance is not observed, the Referee will need to shepherd the wall backwards. Goalkeepers sometimes get involved by indicating how many defensive players are required in the wall, and exactly where the wall should be positioned. The Referee needs to be aware of all these facets and more when controlling players during the taking of a free kick. Conversely, teams must be allowed to take quick free kicks if they want.

Very often, a defender outside of his penalty area, will hit a free kick back to his goalkeeper, and occasionally the ball may be stuck too hard, causing the ball to enter directly into the player's own goal. In this case, the Referee should award a corner kick to the opposition, because the Laws state that you cannot score directly from a free kick of any type, directly into your own goal.

During the taking of a free kick, tactical maneuvers designed to deceive opponents, and feints are acceptable (as they would be in normal play) providing that the action is not blatantly unsporting.

The lines of the penalty area are part of the penalty area itself. A direct free kick offence committed by a defender on his own penalty area line itself - is a in fact a penalty.

Considering the variety of free kicks that can take place in a game, the Referee's position can vary greatly.
Below are some positioning tips:

Because free kicks can happen in any area of the field of play, it is impossible to describe Referee positioning in all instances. There are a number of factors that the Referee will need to take into consideration. Anticipation of how play will develop is a major factor when deciding positioning. Nevertheless, the overriding aim is for the Referee to keep the play action between himself and his Assistant Referee.

The Referee anticipates that the defending Round Team will win the high ball emanating from the free kick taken by the team from the top right hand corner of the field of play. Conversely, if the team has tall attackers who are good at winning high balls, the Referee should place himself at position .

Once he has indicated the approximate area of the restart, the Referee should try to move quickly out of the way, The Referee would not normally interfere with the kicking team's right to take a quick free kick when the location is well away from the penalty area. The aim is to get the ball back into play as soon as possible - unless the team taking the free kick asks for help in dealing with encroaching opponents.

Below are some tips for Referee positioning during the taking of free kicks:

- (a) Always try and keep the players involved, and your respective Assistant Referee in view at all times.

- (b) The Referee does not necessarily have to 'be on the spot' to organize every free kick. But will need to be in close proximity to prevent any retaliatory after-effects following a 'crunching' foul tackle.

- (c) The nearer the free kick gets to the goal; the more the Referee will need to manage the free kick restart.

- (d) During 'ceremonial' free kicks taken near the goal, the Referee should stand out wide, and behind the wall, between the wall and the goal line (or in front and slightly to the side of the wall), thus giving a good view of the defensive wall, goal, players and the Assistant Referee.

- (e) Referees should not turn their back on players involved with a free kick.

- (f) Do not physically push back players in a defending wall.

- (g) Aim to be near the ball drop zone, following a lofted free kick. This way, Referees can look out for fouls committed whilst players are battling for possession. Try and get a sideways view of the drop zone.

- (h) Do not stand too near the goal posts during the taking of a free kick - any deflection off the Referee and into the goal could be embarrassing.

- (i) The Assistant Referee normally looks out for off sides, but can be asked by the Referee to be goal judge when free kicks are taken nearer to the goal.

- (j) The Referee should try to move quickly out of the way, once he has indicated the approximate area of the free kick restart.

- (k) The Referee would not normally interfere with the kicking team's right to take a quick free kick when the location is away from the penalty area. The aim is also to organize any defensive walls quickly and get the ball back into play as soon as possible - unless the team taking the free kick asks for help in dealing with encroaching.

- (l) The Referee should indicate an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.

- (m) Players will very often ask the Referee what type of free kick he has awarded. If a player asks this - let them know whether the kick is direct of indirect - this helps to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise.

- (n) An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team inside the defending team's goal area is taken from that part of the goal area line that runs parallel to the goal line, at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

- (o) Assistant Referees can enter the field of play to manage the correct positioning of a free kick. And to deal with any encroaching players

Ceremonial Free Kicks

During the 'ceremonial' type free kicks nearer to the goal, the Referee will usually (but not always) 'orchestrate the taking of the free kick.

This allows the defensive wall to position itself, and for the attacking team to discuss shooting tactics. This is now an accepted part of football.

The Referee usually tells the players to NOT start (ceremonial free kicks) until they have received his signal, and he does this by tapping his whistle or pointing to it, indicating that players must wait for a whistle before executing the free kick.

If a team then takes a 'ceremonial' type free kick before the Referee has signaled, then the kick should be retaken.

The Referee, uses his Assistant Referee to judge for off sides. The Referee at position has a good view of the play action, and can see all the players involved, including the goalkeeper and the Assistant Referee.

If the Referee decides to take up another position, he will monitor any offside infringements - and the Assistant Referee can be placed alongside the goal line to act as the goal judge.

AR position, is useful if an attacking team has a good free kick taker, and the Referee anticipates that a shot will be fiercely 'blasted' towards goal.

In this instance, the Referee has decided that his Assistant Referee is better placed than him, to see if the ball crosses the goal line between the goal posts for a goal - or not!!

Let the players know that any 'ceremonial' free kicks must not take place until you have signaled. Stand in front of the ball, talk to them, organize the defending wall, prevent opponents from throwing 'handbags' at each other, hold your whistle up to show players that you will signal when the kick can take place - in short, take full control of the situation. This will prevent all sorts of problems arising should you leave players to organize the 'ceremonial' free kicks (near goal) themselves.

The Referee is not obliged to prolong a free kick taken near the goal area - so there is nothing to stop a team taking a quick free kick. This gives the advantage to the attacking team. There is also no obligation (unless he specifically tells the players to await his signal) for the Referee to blow his whistle before a free kick can take place.

If the attacking team 'plays on' immediately, irrespective of whether the defending team is within 10 yards or not, then play must be allowed to continue. If the move does not materialize, and the attacking team then complains that the defenders were not 10 yards away, it would be grossly unfair under such circumstances to allow the attacking team to have two chances at the free kick, just because their quick free kick did not prove fruitful! If the attacking team wants to take a quick free kick, then they cannot expect the Referee to provide them with the ten yards' distance. If the result of the quick free kick is a goal, then this should be allowed to stand - so long as no infringements to the Laws have occurred.

To prevent any problems in free kick situations near to the goal, the Referee should (if he can) ask the attacking team if they want to take a quick free kick or not. If they do, then play should be allowed to start at any time. If the attacking teams do not want to take a quick free kick, then the Referee must instruct them to wait for his whistle - and this must be enforced. This way, the Referee can move to his position and control the distance of the wall from the ball before the free kick is taken. If the free kick is then taken before the Referee has signaled by blowing his whistle and a goal is scored, then bad luck for the attacking team. The goal must be disallowed and the free kick retaken. There can be no other decision.

The intention is to give the initiative to the attacking side by allowing them to take a free-kick without needing to wait for the referee's whistle - unless they request the wall be moved back. The initiative must always be with the attacking side, the team that have been offended against. They are perfectly entitled to take a quick free kick and Referees are actively encouraged to keep the game moving in that respect. However, if the player taking the free-kick, or indeed one of his team-mates, asks the referee to move the wall or any defender back, they must then wait for the official to give the instruction as to when to take the free-kick. That would then give the defending team the time to prepare their defensive wall.

2. Types of Free Kicks:

Free kicks are either direct or indirect.

For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken and
the kicker must not touch the ball a second time until it has been touched another player.

BUT

"If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try and prevent it and to damn the consequences"

(Lord Milliner 1854-1925 26 Nov 1909 Speech in The Times 27 Nov 1909)

In other words, take full control of the situation, especially where free kicks take place very near to the goal, and when you can, do not allow the kick to be taken until you have clearly signaled with your whistle. The Referee is there to help facilitate the taking of free kicks (if help is required) and he would be within his legal rights to sanction any player who does anything to delay or harass the player taking the free kick.

"It is our duty to try and prevent it" (trouble)

Let the players know that any 'ceremonial' free kicks must not take place until you have signaled. Stand in front of the ball, talk to them, organize the defending wall, prevent opponents from throwing handbags at each other, hold your whistle up to show players that you will signal when the kick can take place - in short, take full control of the situation. This will prevent all sorts of problems arising should you leave players to organize 'ceremonial' type free kicks themselves.

- The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves

The distance moved is immaterial and can be minimal. The kicker need only slightly kick the ball with his foot - as long as the ball moves - it is deemed to be in play. However, under such circumstances, the Referee must decide whether any particular touch on the ball and subsequent movement was indeed reasonably taken with the intention of putting the ball into play rather than with the intention merely to reposition the ball for the restart. If the player taking the free kick accidentally moves the ball with his foot, the kick should be retaken. The exception to this is if free kick is taking place within a team's own penalty area, where the ball must wholly cross outside of the penalty area before it is deemed to be in-play (i.e. the slight movement of the ball here is irrelevant - it needs to travel outside of the penalty area before it comes back into play).

In the past, a ball was not deemed in play until it had been kicked and rolled the full distance of its circumference. Nowadays, the ball is in play immediately after it has been kicked and moves (and/or has traveled outside of the kicking team's own penalty area). The Referee (and the players) must judge when the kicker has actually kicked the ball into play. Players can be very cunning when taking free kicks. They will try all sorts of tricks to mislead the defending team. Kickers sometimes move the ball slightly - is it just to reposition the ball? Or is it a subtle ploy to distract the defending team?

Any movement of the ball after it has been kicked is to be considered valid - and will release the defenders from their restraining lines with the Referee's permission. Positioning or bringing the ball to a stop with the hand(s) is probably the best way the attacking team can ensure that it does not infringe the Laws during the positioning and repositioning of the ball before a free kick.

The Laws covering the taking of free kicks are written to encourage continuous game flow within a minimal stoppage time - and Referees must encourage players to 'get on with it'. And the advantage should always be with the attacking team.

- An indirect free kick awarded inside the goal area is taken from that part of the goal area line that runs parallel to the goal line, at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred

All opponents must be at least ten yards away in all directions from the location of the free kick. Exceptions to the required 10-yard distance are (a) when a free kick has been awarded against defenders inside their own goal area. (b) When a team decides to take a quick free kick). Referees should use discretion in cautioning for any infringements.

An attacker who has been asked by the Referee to await for his free kick restart signal, and who then restarts play without waiting for the signal should be strongly and verbally warned - if he does it again, the Referee can consider cautioning him for unsporting behavior. The free kick should be retaken in this instance.

REFEREES SIGNAL FOR INDIRECT FREE KICK

The Referee's signal indicating an indirect free kick is an upwards-outstretched arm. Hold the arm in this position until the ball is touched by another player (not the kicker), or the ball goes directly out of play. Most players do not have a clue what this signal demonstrates. If the indirect free kick is near the goal, I invariably shout to the goalkeeper "Indirect Keeper".

The failure of a Referee to give the correct signal (upraised and outstretched arm) for an indirect free kick or to hold the correct signal for a required period of time does not mean that the indirect free kick becomes a direct free kick - neither does it negate the requirement for a subsequent touch of the ball by another player before a goal can be legally scored from an indirect free kick.

7. Free Kick Outside the Penalty Area:

- All opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) away from the ball until it is in play

'Encroaching' is the term used when defending players move towards the free kick position and enter the 10-yard exclusion zone.

Defenders can gain a considerable advantage by standing less than the required 10 yards away - especially if the free kick is near the goal, where any encroachment by players will greatly reduce the amount of goal directly visible to a free kick taker. The Referee needs to ensure that defenders have retreated the correct distance, and that they stay there until the ball is back in play. One way of doing this is to pace-out the required distance. Beware of the defensive wall, which slowly encroaches back, after it has been positioned correctly. Any players who continue to encroach must be cautioned. The Referee is well within his rights to caution all the defending players in an encroaching wall - but normally he will only caution the one defender who has encroached the most. Do not turn your back on players involved with a free kick. Very often, the attacking team will place their own attacking players in or near a wall, to hassle defenders, with the aim of causing the wall to breach and give the kicker a direct shooting line at goal.

A Referee should normally give a clear signal for the commencement of free kicks, particularly those taken near the penalty area. These types of organized free kicks are sometimes known as 'ceremonial' free kicks. This is where the Referee allows both teams time to position themselves before signaling for the free kick to begin. If the free kick is taken in the middle of the field, it is not necessary to always blow your whistle to signal restart of play. Over-use of the whistle in these situations will only serve to distract players, and will eventually lessen the 'whistle's' impact power when you need to blow it later on in the game for a serious offence. A whistle signal may not be needed at all, to indicate a free kick - in this case, just shout "Play on" to ensure that all the players know that the game has restarted. This also helps to improve the flow of the game.

- The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves

- The free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred

The Referee should try to move quickly out of the way as soon as he has indicated the approximate area of the restart. The Referee would not normally interfere with the kicking team's right to take a quick free kick. The aim is to offer help if asked for.

Quick Free Kick - in cases where the free kick is quickly taken by the attacking team:

If an attacking team decides to take a quick free kick, and the ball hits a defending player who has not retired the required distance - the Referee will need to make a judgment - irrespective of which team subsequently gains possession of the ball.

- (a) If the ball hits a defending player who has not had a reasonable time to retreat the required distance, and the defender was in the process of retreating, then allow play to continue - irrespective of which team gains possession of the ball. Raise your arms and shout "Play on".

- (b) If the ball hits a defending player who has made little or no attempt to retreat the required distance - then the kick should normally be retaken. Blow your whistle loudly to stop play. You can consider cautioning the defender depending on the severity of the offence.

- (c) If the ball hits a defending player who has made little or no attempt to retreat the required distance - and the ball subsequently falls to the advantage of the team taking the kick - raise your arms and shout "Play on".

8. Infringements and Sanctions:

If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance:

- The kick is retaken

If, when a free kick is taken by the defending team from inside its own penalty area, the ball is not kicked directly into play: (Normally, during free kicks, the ball comes into play when it is kicked and moves. But during kicks taken by the defending team inside its own penalty area, the ball only comes into play when it leaves the defending team's penalty area.)

- The kick is retaken

Free kick taken by a player other than the goalkeeper

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball a second time (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team

A player who restarts play by a free kick of any description, must not play the ball a second time - once the ball comes into play - and before the ball is touched by another player. If this occurs during the taking of a free kick, then an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team - the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

If a player deliberately touches a ball a second time you can consider cautioning him.

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (Exception - a free kick awarded to the defending team inside its own goal area can be taken from any point within their goal area.)

- A penalty kick is awarded if the infringement occurred inside the kicker's penalty area

Free kick taken by the goalkeeper

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper touches the ball a second time (except with his hands), before it has touched another player:

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
(Exception - an indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents' goal area, is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.)

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

- A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred outside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred

- An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred inside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
(Exception - an indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents' goal area, is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

There is frequently far too much time wasted in the preparing and taking free kicks,
especially when the winning team is endeavoring to play-out time and win the game.
Players can resort to all sorts of time wasting tricks, a few of which are listed below:

- (a) Kicking the ball away when a free kick has been awarded against them.

- (b) Standing over the ball or in front of the ball to delay the taking of a free kick.

- (c) Discussing the game action with the Referee.

- (d) Tying up bootlaces.

- (e) Unduly giving orders to colleagues.

- (f) Deciding amongst each other, exactly who should take the free kick.

- (g) Repositioning the ball.

- (h) Pointing at the wall, and insisting to the Referee that the wall is not positioned correctly 10 yards away.

Indirect Free Kick

Playing the Ball a Second Time

Law 13/15

1. MUST KNOW: 2. SITUATION: 3. PUNISHMENT FOR TOUCHING THE BALL A SECOND TIME: 4. TOUCHING THE BALL A SECOND TIME FROM A THROW-IN:

If a goalkeeper touches or picks up the ball a second time with his hands
after it has been released from his possession and
the ball has not touched another player – the punishment is (a) & (b) below:

Questions and Answers:

This web site and the advice and answers to any questions are not sanctioned by or affiliated with any governing body of soccer. The opinions expressed on this site should not be considered official interpretations of the Laws of the Game. Although the content of the latest Laws are included on this site, the majority of the content is the opinion of the Webmaster and other Referees worldwide. If you need an official ruling you should contact your local representative/association or visit the FIFA, or the English FA web sites for the Laws themselves.

Questions and Answers:

Question 1: Following the award of a free kick against the attacking team, a defender purposefully stands in front of the ball to prevent the taking of a quick free kick, and tries to gain his team additional time to set up their defensive wall. Should the Referee Caution the offending player without first telling him to back off the ball, or should he just ask the player to move away and not Caution him ?

Answer 1: The fouling team's players have a responsibility to retreat the appropriate distance without having to be continually told to do so by the Referee. This type of delaying action should nearly always result in the offending player receiving a Caution. If you do not strongly discipline players for this offence, you will be storing up further trouble later on in the game. A Referee must be seen to be strong in his decision-making. If you let perpetrators get away within infringements of this type, then you are doing the game (and yourself) no favors. In the past few years, the Laws have been modified to speed up the game and prevent unsporting actions of this kind from taking place. Failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a free kick, is a now a Caution able offence in its own right.

Question 2: An attacking player is penalized for being offside near the touchline. The defending team places the ball some 10 yards away to the side of the attacking player's offside position. The defending team takes the indirect free kick, and the Referee allows play to continue. Later on in the game, the Referee insists on the ball being placed on the exact spot where a foul had been committed. Why is the Referee so inconsistent with his interpretation on the positioning of the ball prior to a free kick being taken?

Answer 2: Tricky one this! A Referee cannot be expected to remember the exact precise position of every free kick.

In the first case involving the offside offence - the restart was taken some 10 yards away. The Referee needs to balance the following two points.

- (a) Did the defending team gain an undue advantage by taking the free kick 10 yards away? And

- (b) Would the repositioning of the ball in the correct position greatly delay the restart of the game?

If the defending team had gained a clear advantage by taking the kick 10 yards away, then the Referee has no choice but to order the kick to be retaken from the correct spot. If no clear advantage had been gained - allow the game to continue. This increases the flow and enjoyment of the game.

Secondly - the positioning of the ball at a free kick can depend on which area of the field the kick is being taken from. You can allow a degree of flexibility as to the placement of the ball, if the free kick is being taken on the half way line, but you will need to be more precise the nearer the free kick position gets towards the goal. You are between the 'Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' when allowing leeway during free kicks . The defending team will berate you for not allowing them a few extra seconds gained in repositioning the ball to the exact offence location. And the attacking team will berate you for being too fussy in the positioning of the ball - and will accuse you of spoiling the flow of the game. One piece of general advice to new Referees', is do not be over-fussy in the placement of the ball prior to a free kick being taken. Constantly insisting on the ball being in the exact position is probably one of the easiest ways to upset players and spoil the game. The only exception to this, is when the free kick is awarded within easy striking distance of the goal. In this instance, you need to ensure that the attacking team take the free kick from the correct place. Attackers have all sorts of tricks to enable them to gain a couple of yards, or a better shooting angle, before placing the ball in readiness to take their kick.

Question 3: After placing the ball down for a free kick, a player rolls the ball sideways with his foot to place the ball in a better position on top of a tuft of grass. The defenders in the wall (assuming that the free kick has now taken place) run towards the ball, and kick it up field out of the danger area. Should the Referee allow play to continue or should the kick be retaken?

Question 3: The attacking player should consider repositioning the ball with his hands. The Referee needs to apply some common sense here. Players will very often reposition the ball on a slightly raised area of the grass. Normally this is not done deliberately to try and widen the angle towards goal, or to cheat the opposition. If the Referee decides that the movement was minimal and not done purposefully to gain an advantage, he should allow the kick to continue, but only after allowing any defensive wall to readjust its position. The Referee should apply a degree of tolerance and common sense when sanctioning positioning of the ball prior to a free kick being taken -so long, as it does not give the kicking team an unfair advantage.

Question 4: As a defending team is positioning their wall in accordance to their goalkeeper's instruction, the attacking team quickly takes the direct free kick and scores a goal. Should the Referee allow the goal, or should he insist on the free kick being retaken?

Answer 4: If the Referee had clearly insisted on temporarily stopping play to allow him time to position the wall correctly, there would have to be a formal restart - but only on the Referees signal. If a team's goalkeeper decides to set up his team's wall, and the Referee had not indicated that he wishes to signal when the kick can take place, then it's their problem if the goalkeeper is not in position for the shot on goal. But once again, my advice to you, is when you can, try and manage free kicks being taken near the penalty area - let players from both sides know beforehand, that you do not wish the free kick to begin until you have given a clear signal - this will save you loads of grief. Holding your whistle aloft is a good way of demonstrating to players that they must await your signal before a free kick can be taken. Nevertheless, a team taking a quick free kick has not committed any offence, and should not be penalized by their goal being disallowed (so long as the Referee did not ask them to wait for his restart signal.) The advantage must always be with the attacking (non-offending) team.

Question 5: During the taking of a free kick, and after the Referee has signaled that the kick can commence, a player from the kicker's side, runs towards the ball, touches the ball very slightly with his foot and runs on, causing the ball to move very fractionally. Another member of the same team then runs up towards the ball. Can the defending players in the wall now move forward to block the ball?

Answer 5: The Referee is the sole judge as to whether or not the action of the first player was a deliberate move to bring the ball into play. If the move was deemed deliberate, then the defending players are within their rights to move towards the ball in an attempt to block the shot. It would be nearly impossible in this situation for the Referee to decide that the first player's touch was accidental - whilst trying to deceive the defending wall with his dummy run. The move should be deemed as bringing the ball into play. If the second player then strikes the ball towards goal, the ball must be seen to have entered play on the first touch by the kicking team. Players very often move the ball about several times before the taking of a free kick. A Referee needs to be very careful in situations of this nature. I would advise you to blow your whistle to stop play immediately, should you feel that any movement of the ball during a free kick is accidental - but you need to be very sure that any touch is accidental. It is also beneficial if you ensure that the ball is placed exactly where it should be - even if this means standing on the ball with your foot until both teams are ready to begin. This allows players of both teams to judge the final position of the ball, and prevents the usual repositioning of the ball into more advantageous positions by the attacking team.

Question 6: During the taking of an indirect free kick, the kicker strikes the ball towards the opponent’s goal and the goalkeeper stretches an arm upwards in an attempt to deflect the ball over the crossbar but doesn't touch the ball before it goes into the goal. Is the goal legal?

Answer 6: I think you can all answer this one correctly yourselves!!
But I suppose I had better give you the answer - just in case!!

The free kick was an indirect free kick. You cannot score a goal directly from an indirect free kick. The restart in this instance would be a goal kick.

Question 7: How long should a Referee keep his arm up following the taking of a direct free kick?

Answer 7: The Referee should not put his arm up at all during the taking of a direct free kick. The raised arm only applies to indirect free kicks.

All right 'clever clogs', let's try again...................

Question 8: How long should a Referee keep his arm up following the taking of an indirect free kick?

Answer 8: Until the ball has touched another player (not the kicker), or until the ball goes directly out of play (example, for a goal kick or throw-in.)

Question 9: An attacker taking an indirect free kick kicks the ball directly into the defenders' goal. Unfortunately, the Referee forgot to raise his arm to indicate that the kick was indirect. The scoring team strongly protests to the Referee, because the Referee refuses to allow the goal to stand. Is the Referee correct in disallowing the goal?

Answer 9: The Referee should have raised his arm, but this signal is not mandatory. The indirect free kick cannot be changed to a direct free kick just because the Referee forgot to signal. The goal is therefore disallowed.

Question 10: Can a free kick be kicked backwards?

Answer 10: Yes. (But this is not advised if the free kick is on your own goal line).

Question 11: Following a deliberate back pass by a teammate to his goalkeeper, the goalkeeper who is standing on his goal line between the goal posts, handles the ball. The Referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team and tells them to await his signal before taking the free kick. The ball is placed correctly on the 6-yard goal area line in readiness for the free kick. The defending team line up a wall on the goal line. An attacking team player kicks the ball sideways to allow his colleague to blast the ball towards goal. A defender, who happens to be stood 5 yards behind the original free kick position of the ball, anticipates this action and intercepts the ball before it is kicked towards goal. The Referee stops play and orders the free kick to be retaken. Why?

Answer 11: In situations very near the goal like this, the Referee is advised to always take charge of organizing and signaling the start of the free kick. The defender that came from behind to intercept the ball had not retired the proper distance (10 yards) away from the free kick position. Although the attackers were probably not aware of the defenders starting position, the attacking team should be allowed to retake the kick. The defender in this case, had failed to retreat the required distance and could be 'cautioned'. The Referee should have been more vigilant, and should have dealt with the encroaching defender before allowing the free kick to take place. But this is not always easy to do - as players area constantly moving about. Had the attacking team scored a goal in this move, and then the goal should be allowed to count.

Question 12: What should a Referee do if a free kick is taken when the ball is not stationary?

Answer 12: The Referee should blow his whistle to stop play, and order the free kick to be retaken correctly (i.e. with the ball in a stationary position.) It can sometimes be very difficult to judge exactly when a ball is stationary during the taking of a very quick free kick - especially if players throw the ball in a backspin motion to position it in front of them, and then instantly take the free kick. If you are in any doubt, insist that the free kick is retaken correctly.

Question 13: Having received the Referee's permission/signal, an attacker proceeds to take a quick free kick. In his haste, the attacker kicks the ball directly over the touchline. The kicker alleges that he was distracted by the close presence of an opponent who was only 3 yards away. What action should the Referee take?

Answer 13: The Referee should award a throw-in to the opposing side. When a quick free kick is taken, the kicker must accept that he runs the risk of the ball deflecting off an opponent or of being distracted - the kicker can not expect to be given another chance for a hasty mistake made whilst trying to gain a fair advantage.

Question 14: Following the taking of an indirect free kick inside the defending team's penalty area. The ball is deflected from a defending team player that is lined up on the goal line, and into the goal. Because the ball did not touch a second attacker, is this goal legal?

Answer 14: Yes. A goal may be scored from an indirect free kick, so long as the ball has touched a second player, regardless of which team that player belongs to.

Question 15: Before an indirect free kick has taken place, the attacking kicker head butts a defending opponent. What action should the Referee take, and how should he restart the game.

Answer 15: The Referee should send-off the attacking kicker for Violent Conduct. As the free kick had not actually taken place, the taking of the original indirect free kick awarded to the attacking kickers side restarts the game.
Comment: Considering the nature of the incident, it's a pity that the Referee does not have any powers to reverse the free kick, and give it against the attacking kickers side.

Question 16: A defender kicks a high ball that is very near an attacker's face. The Referee awards an indirect free kick (for dangerous play) to the attacking side. The attacker quickly kicks the ball directly into the defenders goal without the ball having touching another player. The Referee overrules the goal and awards the defending team a goal kick instead. Was this action correct?

Answer 16: Although the Referee did not have time to raise his arm to indicate the indirect free kick, it can be argued that he did not provide the defending team enough time to defend the free kick - but he has no obligation to do this. Unfortunately, there is little the attacking team can do about it, except accept the decision. A goal cannot be scored direct from an indirect free kick.

Question 17: During the taking of a free kick, the kicker touches the ball a second time with his foot, before another player has touched the ball. What should the Referee do?

Answer 17: Provided that the ball has actually been kicked and moved and has therefore come into play, the opposing side should be awarded an indirect free kick from the position that the kicker made contact with the ball a second time. (an exception to this is when an indirect free kick is taken inside the kicker's own penalty area - the ball does not come into play until it leaves the penalty area. In this case, if the kicker touched the ball a second time before the ball had left the penalty area, the same team should retake the kick. If the ball leaves the penalty area, and the kicker then touches it a second time before another player, then an indirect free kick must be awarded to the opposing team from the position outside the penalty area where the kicker made contact with the ball a second time.

Question 18: During the taking of a quick indirect free kick, the ball deflects off the Referee as he is trying to move out of the way, and goes directly into the goal. Because the ball has touched the Referee, is the goal legal?

Answer 18: No. A goal cannot be scored direct from an indirect free kick.

The ball must touch another player, and the Referee is certainly not another player. The Referee and the Assistant Referees are seen as part of the field of play.

Question 19: During the taking of a quick indirect free kick, the ball hits the Referee who is standing close by, and is touched a second time by the kicker. Should the Referee take any action?

Answer 19: Yes. The ball must touch another player before the kicker can touch it again, and the Referee is certainly not another player. The Referee must award an indirect free kick to the opposing team.

Question 20: The Referee stops Play when an attacking player pushes a defender standing inside his (the defender's) goal area. In readiness for the free kick, the ball is placed on the opposite side of the goal area from where the foul was committed. Is this legal?

Answer 20: Yes: A free kick awarded to the defending team inside its own goal area can be taken from any point within the goal area.

Question 21: Before the taking of an indirect free kick to an attacking team near their opponent's goal, the defending goalkeeper protests to the Referee that an attacker is standing directly in front of him, thus obscuring the goalkeeper’s vision. Should the Referee take any action?

Answer 21: No. So long as the opponent is not actually interfering, obstructing or impeding the goalkeeper, the opponent is just as entitled as the goalkeeper in standing where he likes. (so long as it is within the limitations of the Laws.) But don't forget the offside Law!

Question 22: A goalkeeper weakly kicks a free kick awarded to him in his penalty area. An attacker who is close by, anticipates this mistake, and runs towards the ball. The goalkeeper runs up to the ball and kicks it again before the ball has left the penalty area. The Referee orders the free kick to be retaken. Since the goalkeeper has touched the ball a second time, shouldn't the opposition get an indirect free kick?

Answer 22: During the taking of a free kick within the kicker's own penalty area, the ball does not come back into play until it leaves the penalty area. Since the ball never left the penalty area, it was never deemed to be in play. The kick should be retaken. If the goalkeeper purposefully repeats this, with the clear aim of wasting time, then he should be 'cautioned'.

Question 23: A defender has been awarded a free kick just outside of his penalty area. The defender quickly back-heels the ball to his goalkeeper, who unbecomingly to the defender, is lying injured on the floor. Realizing that the ball is about to enter the goal, the defender runs back into the penalty area and slices the ball, which ricochets, into the goal. Is this a legal goal, and what action should the Referee take:

Answer 23: The Referee should award an indirect free kick to the opposition at the position where the defender touched the ball a second time. A goal cannot be scored directly into your own goal from a free kick of any type. If the ball had entered the goal without anyone else touching it, then the Referee should award a corner kick to the opposition.

Note: An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents' goal area, is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

Comment: Of course, a good Referee would have quickly stopped the game to allow treatment to the goalkeeper - thus preventing any complications that can arise in situations of this nature.



Question 24: What should be awarded if a defender strikes a direct free kick into his own net?

Answer 24: A goal cannot be scored direct from any free kick into your own goal. If the kick was taken inside your own penalty area, the kick should be retaken, because the ball had not yet come into play by leaving the penalty area.

If the kick was taken outside of the penalty area, the restart is a corner kick to the opposing team.

Question 25: What happens if the attacking team want a quick free kick near the goal, but delay the taking it themselves to the point where the defending team think that there is going to be a whistle so therefore 'switch off,' to arrange their wall, and the attacking team then take the kick?... In other words how long do they get before the Referee now says, "Wait for the whistle"?

Answer 25: How long is a piece of string?

The old Law 18 Common sense kicks in here. Like any other restart, the Referee should allow a reasonable amount of time. This situation is very unlikely to happen, but if the defending team switch off, then tough luck. They will not do it another time. The advantage stays with the attacking team, because they were the team offended against. It is no different to a free kick on the halfway line – the Referee does not wait until all the defenders are in place, and neither do the attacking team.

If this ever does happen, and there is an undue delay with the ‘quick’ free kick, the safest and easiest thing for the Referee to do is to blow his whistle indicating that the kick can be taken. This way, only those players with cloth in their ears will miss it. The Referee is not obliged to signal the start of a free kick.

Notwithstanding all of the above, if I ever had the slightest hint that an attacking team was purposefully delaying a so called ‘quick’ free kick (after I had given them permission) with the aim of confusing the defending team in the hope that the goalkeeper or wall are out of position, then I would certainly blow my whistle very hard PEEP PEEEP PEEEEP PEEEEEP PEEEEEEP to stop the kick taking place – because this gamesmanship by the attacking team is definitely against the spirit of the game. I would then insist on a ‘ceremonial’ free kick taking place, whereby both the defending and attacking team do not commence play until all the players have positioned themselves, and I have signaled for the free kick to begin. (Webmaster)

Question 26: May a free kick he taken by lifting the ball with both feet simultaneously?

Answer 26: No. It is not accepted that a free kick is taken correctly if it is lifted with both feet. (FIFA)

Question 27: All the defenders are properly lined up at the stipulated distance of 9.75m. (10 yards). The referee signals for the free kick to be taken and the attackers (three for instance) apply tactics devised to break up the wall. Very quickly the first attacker runs over the ball without touching it, a second attacker does exactly the same immediately after, which has the effect of making one or two of the defenders move forward, whereupon the third attacker kicks the ball which is parried by one of the defenders who is no longer at the stipulated distance. Should the Referee consider that, by employing these tactics, the attacking players took the risk of playing for a surprise and allow play to continue without intervening? Or, on the contrary, for this particular case, should he intervene by cautioning the defending players for approaching before the ball had traveled the distance of its own circumference and have the free kick repeated?

Answer 27: The free kick carried out in this manner is correct and the players who have formed a wall at 9.15m distances from the ball must not come forward. The referee could have the free kick retaken if the ball struck one of the players who had advanced from the wall and thus failed to adhere to the stipulated distance before the ball had traveled the distance of its circumference or he could choose to allow advantage to the attacking team. The player or players guilty of encroachment should be cautioned. (FIFA)

Question 28: When taking a free kick awarded to their team, may players use feinting tactics to confuse opponents?

Answer 28: Yes. Furthermore, if the opponents move nearer than 9.15m (10 yards) to the baIl before it is in play, they shall be cautioned. (FIFA)

Question 29: A player wishes to play a free kick quickly, with an opponent being only 4.5m from the ball. Should the Referee allow this?

Answer 29: Yes, and even if an opponent intercepts the ball, play shall be allowed to continue. (FIFA)

Question 30: If the Referee forgets to raise his arm when an indirect free kick is taken, does this mean that this indirect free kick has not been carried out in accordance with the Laws?

Answer 30: No. The award of an indirect free kick shall be respected, because the initial offence requiring an indirect free kick is not nullified by the referee's mistake. (FIFA)