Direct Free Kick Offences
A direct free kick is awarded when a player commits any of the following in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
- Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
- Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
- Jumps at an opponent
- Charges an opponent
- Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
- Pushes an opponent
- Tackles an opponent
Or commits any the following offences:
- Holds an opponent
- Spits at an opponent
- Handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).
In determining whether or not a player deliberately handled the ball, the referee has several considerations:
- Movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
- Distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
- Position of the hand ('natural' position versus 'unnatural' position) does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement
- Touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement
- Hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement
If a player commits a direct free kick offence within his own penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded irrespective of the position of the ball, provided the ball is in play.
Read more about this topic: Misconduct (association Football)
Famous quotes containing the words direct, free, kick and/or offences:
“Pleasure is the rock which most young people split upon; they launch out with crowded sails in quest of it, but without a compass to direct their course, or reason sufficient to steer the vessel; for want of which, pain and shame, instead of pleasure, are the returns of their voyage.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“No one can be perfectly free till all are free; no one can be perfectly moral till all are moral; no one can be perfectly happy till all are happy.”
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)
“Talk to them about things they don’t know. Try to give them an inferiority complex. If the actress is beautiful, screw her. If she isn’t, present her with a valuable painting she will not understand. If they insist on being boring, kick their asses or twist their noses. And that’s about all there is to it.”
—John Huston (1906–1987)
“A strong argument for the religion of Christ is this—that offences against Charity are about the only ones which men on their death-beds can be made—not to understand—but to feel—as crime.”
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1845)