Question Number: 25853

Law 13 - Free Kicks 12/22/2011

RE: rec,com Under 13

Ali Afkhami of Pleasant Hill, Ca Contra costa asks...

I have a question on the 10 yds rule that I don't know where to ask. I need to know how this rule was established?

Thank you in advance.

Ali

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ali
To find the origin of any law one must look back to the earliest Laws of the Game. In the mid 1800 the Laws included rules like 'the other side shall not approach within 10 yards of the ball until it is kicked off. ' & 'No player may stand within six paces of the kicker when he is kicking off.' In 1863 The Cambridge Rules stated that ' When a player has a free-kick, no-one of his own side may be between him and his opponents' goal line and no one of the opposing side may stand within 10 yds. of him.''
The first-ever IFAB meeting took place in 1886 when the English FA, conscious of the need for standardisation, invited their Irish, Scottish and Welsh counterparts to join forces to come up with a uniform set of Laws. Up until then, different Laws had applied in different countries.
Clearly some of the elements of the various laws were incorporated into the new Laws of the Game including the requirement to be 10 yards from a kick off, free kick etc and they have remained with us since that. In 1917 the 10 yard rule was extended to include corner kicks.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Law 13 provides for the defense to retreat at least ten yards on a free kick. It is a very old requirement of the laws of the game.