Question Number: 35153

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/11/2023

RE: Amateur Adult

Mühenned Elseyho of Kahramanmara? , Kahramanmara? Turkey asks...

**According to the Laws of the Game, all opposing players must be at least 9.14 meters (10 yards) away from the ball when a direct or indirect free kick is taken, whether inside or outside the penalty area.

However, there is one exception to this rule. Opposing players are allowed to approach the ball if they are attempting to block a direct free kick quickly.

In this case, opposing players must be at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) away from the ball. If they approach closer than that, the team taking the free kick may be awarded a retake.**

Is this true?!!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Mühenned,
NO!
Opposing players are NOT permitted to close down, move towards or attempt to block any free kick (optimum word here is free)
Unless the referee has signaled a ceremonial restart their ONLY duty is to withdraw to a minimum of ten yards.

Now the referee ALLOWS a quick kick with opposition in close but UNTIL the ball is in play they cannot move to stop it. If they try and succeeded the referee will retake and possibly caution.

Once the ball is in motion from the kick it can be pursued . If the kick it too close and it gets intercepted that is play on!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mühenned
Not sure where you got this rule from as it is not part of the Laws of the Game.
It might be some local indoor soccer competition rule unique to a small sided indoor game. It is not even part of Futsal rules which is the same as Law 13 which I quote here.
**If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance, the kick is retaken unless the advantage can be applied but if a player takes a free kick quickly and an opponent who is less than 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball intercepts it, the referee allows play to continue. However, an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play.**

So opponents are not allowed to move closer than 10 yards of the ball before a free kick is taken. If in the case of a quick free kick where an opponent intercepts the ball in a position where the player has not moved towards the ball then play continues.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mühenned,
The answer is no - there is no exception such as the one you quote, allowing players to be 1.5 metres from the ball when a free kick is taken. And the minimum distance they must be away is actually 9.15, not 9.14 metres.

Now, the law does say that, "if a player takes a free kick quickly and an opponent who is less than 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball intercepts it, the referee allows play to continue." But there is also a counterweight to that, as follows:

"However, an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play."

Generally speaking, for the player to get away with being less than 9.15 metres away when they intercept the ball, they would have to have been there already, and the opponents should have tried to take the free kick quickly, before the player could move away. But once again, no specific distance is mentioned as being allowable.