Question Number: 24933

Law 13 - Free Kicks 5/12/2011

RE: Competitive Under 11

Sidney of Toronto , Ontario Canada asks...

I dont understand the diffrence with an inderect and a direct free kick. can you please help me?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sidney
Please look at Law 12 of the Laws of the game. Penal fouls are listed which include kicking, tripping, pushing, charging, deliberate handling which are all direct free kicks. Then there are technical fouls which are listed which includes a GK touching the ball with his hands on a deliberate kick to him, playing in a dangerous manner, impeding and preventing the Gk from releasing the ball.
A goal can be scored directly from a DFK whereas a goal cannot be scored directly from an IDFK

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

No offense Ref Sidney, but this is one of the basic concepts of the Laws of the Game which should have been taught in your certification class.

A goal can be scored directly without any other player touching it from a direct free kick. For an indirect kick, the ball must touch another player from either team including the goalkeeper, before a goal can be scored.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Law 12 indicates ten fouls for which the free kick is direct: meaning that a goal can be scored directly on the free kick without the ball first touching another player. Only a direct free kick foul can lead to a penalty kick (if done by a defender inside the penalty area).

For other fouls and most misconduct, the restart is an indirect free kick. The referee raises her arm to indicate that the kick is indirect (it is also ok to tell players when they ask), and lowers the arm when the ball touches another player after the free kick. (If the ball goes into the goal and your arm is still in the air because the ball never touched another player, the arm in the air reminds you that this is not a good goal. The restart will be a goal kick).

With very young players, the local rules sometimes indicate that all kicks are indirect (and there are no penalty kicks) because the fields are so short. In all other levels, the difference between direct and indirect free kicks is critical since the referee must know which fouls result in a penalty kick.