Question Number: 34471

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/9/2022

RE: Adult

Solomon Omowele of Johannesburg , Gauteng South Africa asks...

Are all fouls on the penalty box a penalty?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Solomon,
The answer is no.
The offences inside the penalty area that do not result in a penalty kick are offences punished by an indirect free kick. All direct free kick restart offences or penal fouls as they are called result in a penalty kick.

The two main offences in this indirect / technical offence category would be playing in a dangerous manner and the goalkeeper handling a deliberate kick from a team mate which both have indirect free kick restarts from the location of the offences when they occur inside the penalty area.

There are other IDFK offences listed in Law 12 yet they are fairly rare yet do happen. They do not result either in a penalty kick if they should occur inside the penalty area. These including no contact impeding, verbal offences and a deliberate trick to circumvent the deliberate kick to the goalkeeper rule.

I hope that helps.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Solomin.

A direct free kick offence committed by the defence inside the penalty area becomes a Penalty Kick.

Most fouls are Direct Free Kick Offences - these most commonly include carelessly/recklessly/excessive force kicking, tripping, striking, usually shirt pulling). Handball is also included.

We don't see a lot of indirect free kicks except for offside, but you occasionally see them for impeding the progress of an opponent (rare at higher levels, because when there's contact it becomes a direct free kick), or Playing In A Dangerous Manner (typically a 'high foot' that presents a danger to an opponent and affects play) - again, if there's contact, it becomes a Direct, so a Penalty Kick.

You do see that one occasionally inside the PA, but it's more likely to be the attack doing this (for instance, an overhead bicycle kick can be dangerous if an opponent is nearby and they have to avoid heading the ball else get kicked in the head).

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Solomon,
all DFK (direct free kick) penal offences are upgraded to a PK (penalty kick) IF they occur within the offenders' OWN penalty area! What DFK allow a team to score a GOAL directly from the kick . The ball does not require any other player to touch/play it.

There is another type of free kick called INDFK (indirect free kicks ) These are NOT penal offences but rather indirect free kick infractions. INDFK have a 2nd touch restriction whereby a GOAL CAN NOT be scored directly from the kick . The ball MUST contact touch/play at least one other player besides the kicker before that ball could completely cross the goal line, under the crossbar between the posts to count as a legal goal.

As mention PIADM(playing in a dangerous manner)and impeding without contact are possible infractions as are double touches of the ball ( a 2nd touch before any player from either team has played that ball) after a throw in or free kick.

Even though a keeper CAN legally use their hands within their PA (penalty area ) to make a save or gain ball control there several handling restriction a keeper must be aware of that if they occur INSIDE his own PA: such as holding onto a ball using the hands for longer than 6 seconds, a 2nd picking up of a released ball after 6 seconds which no other player has played that ball since it was done the first time or handling a deliberately kicked ball to him by a team mate while inside his own PA.

An INDFK is awarded to the opposition from where it occurs SUBJECT to the special conditions within the 6-yard goal area in which no kick can occur at less than 6 yards away given of the indfk infraction occurs within the confines of that 6-yard area the ball is brought straight back to the outer edge of the 6-yard goal area that parallels the actual goal line.

A usual defensive configuration can occur WHEN the distance to the goal is between 10 yards and at the 6-yard minimum on an INDFK . The defenders CAN stand closer than the required 10 yards ON their goal line between the posts under the crossbar albeit they STILL must be 10 yards away from the INDFK spot if they are anywhere but ON that goal line!

https://youtu.be/4WpKfmCKIas

Cheers