Question Number: 22674

Law 13 - Free Kicks 12/27/2009

RE: Under 17

brett of orlando, florida usa asks...

how do you get a free kick in the 18 yard box?
what is a blue card? how do you get one in a game? what does it mean?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are many infractions that would result in a free kick inside the penalty area.

If committed by the attacking team, any infraction qualifies; the defending team takes the kick. The ball must then be kicked beyond the penalty area boundary before it is in play.

A free kick for the attacking team inside the penalty area could only be an indirect free kick. This would include things like playing in a dangerous manner, stopping play to deal with misconduct that is not also a foul, and various goalkeeper infractions.

Blue cards are not mentioned in the Laws of the Game. I understand some indoor leagues use them to indicate a 'sin-bin' infraction where a player must sit in a penalty box for a time, a la hockey.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brett
The only free kick that can be awarded inside the penalty area to the attacking team is an indirect free kick. All other free kicks for the attacking team awarded inside the penalty area result in a penalty kick. Fouls that result in an indirect free kick are termed technical fouls and the main ones are playing in a dangerous manner without contact, distracting or deceiving an opponent and impeding without contact.

In Small Sided Football for Underage players yellow cards and associated cautions are no longer employed in the UK.
Referees are asked instead to employ a blue card for a cautionable offence. The issuing of a blue card indicates that the young player will serve an immediate 'timed suspension' ('sin bin')
The period of timed suspension in Small Sided Football is a recommended two minutes.

As Referee Voshol states the Blue card is not part of the Laws of the Game and cannot be used in open age games.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Any direct free kick foul, indirect free kick foul, or anything else that results in an indirect free kick all may be taken inside a penalty area if they are leaving the penalty area, i.e. not attacking.

Inside the attacking penalty area all DFK fouls result in a penalty kick but any action that results in an indirect free kick may be taken. Examples are keeper releases the ball from his hands and picks it up again before it touches another player, impeding the progress of an opponent, playing in a dangerous manner. There are others.

Blue cards aren't mentioned or used by FIFA or the USSF for regular soccer

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Actually you do not get a free kick they are awarded to you by the decision of the referee based on the antics of the opposition.

There is either attacking or defending free kicks if these occur within the penalty area they may have special significance attached to them.

ANY outgoing free kick in favour of the defending team must completely clear the penalty area boundaries to be in play! Whether the free kick is a DFK or INDFK offence, the opposition must remain outside the penalty area and still adhere to the minimum 10 yards away from the spot of the infringement.
If the free kick occurs within the 6 yard goal area the defending team can place the ball anywhere within that designated area.
This includes the goal kick for a ball over the goal line last touched by the opposition!

For attacking free kicks within the defending penalty area there are different exceptions! Any of the ten DFk offences are upgraded to PK (penalty kick) status. Thus all DFKs are PKs taken from the 12 yard spot!
INDFK offences occur from the point of the infraction UNLESS they occurs inside the 6 yard goal area in which case the indfk occurs 6 yards away from the goal line as the ball is always brought straight back to that point along the goal area line that parallels the actual goal line
While an attacking indfk can not occur closer than 6 yards it is interesting to note that on an indfk that is between 10 to 6 yards away from goal the defending team have the right to line up under the crossbar between the posts along the goal line. This is the only exception to the minimum 10 yard distance to be respected on free kicks


The blue card in soccer means that the player it has been issued to, must serve an immediate penalty suspension. Most suspensions are 2 minutes.
Blue cards are not used for regulation FIFA 11 aside outdoor soccer