A free kick becomes easier to follow when you separate three questions: what caused the stoppage, what the referee signals, and what happens after the kick. This guide uses IFAB’s 2026/27 Laws, checked on 7 October 2026. The examples are illustrative situations.
Start with the offence
Careless tripping, pushing or tackling offences produce direct free kicks. Holding an opponent and handball offences also belong in this category. Dangerous play without contact and impeding an opponent without contact can lead to indirect free kicks. See IFAB Law 12. A high boot that prevents a nearby opponent from challenging for fear of injury illustrates dangerous play; simply lifting a foot high is not automatically an offence.
The restart and any card are separate decisions. A careless challenge does not itself require a card, while a reckless challenge requires a caution and excessive force requires a sending-off. Other circumstances can also affect discipline.
A direct-free-kick offence committed by a defender inside their own penalty area normally results in a penalty kick. IFAB Law 14 explains that restart. An indirect offence inside the area remains indirect; proximity to goal does not turn every infringement into a penalty.
Watch for the raised arm
The referee raises an arm overhead for an indirect free kick. It remains raised until another player touches the ball, it goes out, or scoring directly becomes impossible. See IFAB Law 13.
Follow the ball into goal
A direct free kick can score straight into the opponents’ goal. An indirect kick needs another player’s touch before a goal can count. If it goes straight in, award a goal kick. Either kind kicked straight into the taker’s own goal results in a corner.
For example, a correctly signalled indirect kick enters untouched: no goal. A teammate’s touch before it enters changes that result, assuming no other offence. A missing indirect signal requires a retake when the kick goes directly into goal.
Check the restart
The ball must be stationary, then kicked and clearly moving. The taker cannot touch it again before another player does. Opponents normally stay 9.15 metres away; defenders may stand on their goal line between the posts. An attacking indirect kick awarded inside the goal area moves to its nearest point on the line parallel to the goal line.
Recognise the offside restart
Offside offences lead to indirect free kicks at the place of the offence. Merely occupying an offside position is insufficient: the player must become involved in active play in a way covered by IFAB Law 11. An attacker who was offside when a teammate passed, then runs back and plays that ball, can therefore concede an indirect kick even after moving away from goal. Watch the sequence rather than judging only the player’s position when the whistle sounds.
Keep advantage in mind
The referee may let play continue when the non-offending team benefits. If the expected advantage fails immediately or within a few seconds, the referee can return to the original offence under IFAB Law 5. For example, a fouled midfielder may still release a teammate into useful space. The absence of an immediate whistle does not necessarily mean the referee considered the challenge legal. Follow the referee’s decision before identifying the eventual restart.