The Indirect Free Kick

Beckham waits to take an indirect free kick.

Source:  BBC

Continuing our series on the Laws of the Game, here's the story on indirect free kicks.  Those are the penalties you see where the ref calls a foul, play is stopped, and the opposing team is awarded the penalty.  They take possesion of the ball and kick it to one of their teammates to resume play.  The primary difference between this type of penalty and those associated with direct free kicks are that the list of offences is not as specific and a goal cannot be scored from an indirect free kick.  In other words, you have to pass before you shoot when an indirect free kick is taken.

Here's the section of Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct in italics below.  My own notes are displayed in brackets [].

Indirect Free Kick

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences [haven't seen one of these called yet]:


• controls the ball with his hands for more than six seconds before releasing it from his possession


• touches the ball again with his hands after he has released it from his possession and before it has touched another player


• touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate [note:  however, the goalie is allowed to handle the ball if it is headed back to him from a teammate because this is not proscribed by the law, ie heading is different from kicking]


• touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate


An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if, in the opinion of the referee, a player:
[this is the typical scenario we see on the field.  ref blows the whistle, play stops, ball changes hands, play resumes]

• plays in a dangerous manner


• impedes the progress of an opponent


• prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands


• commits any other offence, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player.

The indirect free kick is taken from the place where the offence occurred (see Law 13 – Position of Free Kick).

Signal [from Law 13 describing the procedure for free kicks]



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  [from Law 13 describing the procedure for free kicks]

A goal can be scored [from an indirect free kick] 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

Procedure  [from Law 13 describing the procedure for free kicks]


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 again until it has touched another player.

Position of Free Kick



Free Kick Inside the Penalty Area


     Direct or indirect free kick to the defending team:


     • all opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball


     • the ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area

     • all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play

     • a free kick awarded in the goal area may be taken from any point inside that area

     Indirect free kick to the attacking team:

     • all opponents must be 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 must be taken on the goal area line
        parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred

Free Kick Outside the Penalty Area [the typical scenario in this blog posting]

     • all opponents must be 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 or from the
        position of the ball when the infringement occurred (according to the infringement)

Here's the best page on FIFA's website that provides links to all their various laws and regulations governing not just the Laws of the Game, including those for FUTSAL, but tournament regulations, transfers, player status, club/agent regulations, rules of conduct, code of ethics, and disciplinary code.

See also Wikipedia's description of the Indirect Free Kick.  It's pretty good.


More on Laws of the Game

The Penalty Kick and Pics of the Week
The Direct Free Kick - Continued
The Direct Free Kick
Hand Ball!
The Field of Play
Sideline Guideline
Hey!  That Player is Offside!!!