Indirect Free Kick in Soccer: Rules, Signals and Goals

An indirect free kick in soccer is a restart from which a goal cannot be scored directly against the opposing team. The ball must touch another player before it enters the goal for the goal to count. The referee signals the restart by holding an arm up above the head.

These requirements are set out in IFAB Law 13, which governs direct and indirect free kicks. They are distinct from the question of whether a particular challenge deserved a yellow or red card.

Indirect vs. direct free kick: what changes?

A direct free kick can score directly into the opponents’ goal. An indirect free kick needs a touch from another player, on either team, before the ball enters that goal. The second touch does not have to be a deliberate pass from an attacking teammate: a goalkeeper’s save or a defender’s touch can also matter.

If an indirect free kick goes straight into the opponents’ goal without touching anyone else, the restart is a goal kick, not a goal. If either kind of free kick goes directly into the kicker’s own goal without a touch, Law 13 provides for a corner kick to the opponents.

How does the referee signal an indirect free kick?

The referee raises an arm above the head. The arm remains raised while the kick is taken and until the ball touches another player, goes out of play, or a direct goal is clearly no longer possible.

This visible signal prevents players and goalkeepers from confusing the restart with a direct free kick. You can often identify the decision before the kick even if you did not see the original offense.

What if the referee forgets to raise an arm?

IFAB Law 13 gives a specific remedy: if the referee fails to signal that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into the goal, the kick is retaken. The referee’s missing signal should not make a team suffer an avoidable misunderstanding about the type of restart.

Which offenses cause an indirect free kick?

IFAB’s Law 12 on fouls and misconduct identifies several categories. Their circumstances matter; not every no-contact action is an offense.

Playing in a dangerous manner

A player puts someone at risk while attempting to play the ball—for example, raising a foot so close to a nearby opponent that the opponent cannot safely challenge. When dangerous play meets the Law 12 definition and does not involve a qualifying direct-free-kick offense, an indirect restart can result.

Impeding without contact

A player moves into an opponent’s path to obstruct or slow the opponent when the ball is not within playing distance. Without physical contact, this can be an indirect-free-kick offense. Impeding with contact may instead be a direct-free-kick offense.

Specific goalkeeper handling offenses

Inside the goalkeeper’s penalty area, handling a ball deliberately kicked by a teammate or received directly from a teammate’s throw-in can bring an indirect free kick. There are exceptions and precise conditions, so a ball merely arriving near the goalkeeper is not enough.

Another example is handling the ball again after releasing it into play but before another player touches it. These are different from the separate rule controlling how long a goalkeeper can hold the ball. Our guide to soccer fouls and misconduct explains the broader direct-versus-indirect classification.

Offside and some technical offenses

Offside offenses result in an indirect free kick. The judgment of when someone becomes involved in active play is a separate subject explained in our offside guide.

How is the kick taken?

• The ball must be stationary and is in play when kicked and clearly moved.
• The player taking the kick cannot touch it again until it has touched another player.
• Opponents normally must be at least 9.15 meters (10 yards) away, subject to the specific goal-line exception and other Law 13 details.
• When three or more defenders form a wall, attackers must keep at least one meter from that wall until the ball is in play.

Law 13 also has specific placement rules for a free kick inside the goal area. A referee may need to move the restart to the nearest permitted point on the goal-area line rather than place it exactly where the infringement occurred.

Can you score from an indirect free kick inside the penalty area?

Yes, after another player has touched the ball. An indirect free kick awarded in the opponents’ penalty area does not automatically become a penalty kick. The type of offense determines whether the referee awards a penalty or an indirect restart.

For example, an attacking teammate can make a short first touch before another player shoots. Alternatively, a shot that is touched by a defender or goalkeeper before crossing the line may satisfy the extra-touch condition. The location of the restart still affects positioning and the defenses’ ability to protect the goal.

Common indirect free kick mistakes

Scenario 1: Shot into the goal without a touch

The ball enters the opposing goal untouched. The referee awards a goal kick instead of a goal.

Scenario 2: Goalkeeper gets a hand to the shot

The goalkeeper touches the indirect shot and it then enters the goal. The required extra-player touch has occurred, so the goal can count if no other offense intervened.

Scenario 3: The kicker touches the ball twice

The same player takes the kick and plays the ball again before anyone else does. That second touch is itself an infringement, with the restart determined by Law 13.

Indirect free kick FAQ

Can a goal be scored directly from an indirect free kick?

No. The ball must touch another player first.

Does the second player have to be on the attacking team?

No. A touch by a defender or the goalkeeper can satisfy the requirement.

Why does the referee hold an arm up?

It identifies the kick as indirect so both teams understand that a direct goal will not count.

Is an indirect kick inside the box always a penalty?

No. Indirect free-kick offenses inside a penalty area remain subject to the indirect-restart rules; the laws specify when a direct-free-kick offense becomes a penalty kick.

Rules checked against IFAB Laws 12 and 13 and the 2026/27 Laws of the Game. Match-specific decisions depend on the referee’s application of the full Laws.