Explaining the Indirect Free-Kick rule and its implications in football

Tito Vilanova once scored from an indirect free-kick inside the penalty box

In spite of it being a cold and balmy Thursday night at Anfield, there was a certain sense of anticipation. More importantly there was positivity and excitement amongst the Anfield faithful. And Bordeaux served as a perfect foil for the Klopp fervor to continue. Perhaps, Simon Mignolet felt the same.

As he held the ball for a tad too long, slowing the game down and surveying the field to kickstart an attack, there was a distinct whistle from the referee. What followed next stumped Mignolet, Klopp and the Anfield faithful.

The referee had pulled up Mignolet for holding the ball longer than six seconds and had Liverpool penalized for an indirect free kick within the penalty box. Saviet gleefully accepted the gift served on the platter and scored with a peach of a curler into the top corner.

Chaos erupted at the touchline with Klopp bellowing at the fourth official, but the goal stood. Regardless of the controversy, the referee was technically correct in employing the Indirect free-kick rule. The rule is related to the Back-Pass rule which was introduced in 1992.

Indirect Free-Kick rule

According to the Law 13, free-kicks of the FIFA rulebook, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opponent if a goalkeeper commits any of the following offences inside his own penalty area:

• Takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession
• Touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
• Touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate
• Touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in by a teammate

As the term "Indirect free kick" suggests, the ball must be passed to another player before the team can attempt to score. The referee will indicate an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He will maintain this position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player.

Mignolet had broken the first part of the law by taking more than six seconds to release the ball. The video below shows Mignolet’s carelessness as he held onto the ball for 16 seconds before the whistle was blown for the offence.

Exploitation of the Indirect Free-Kick

Time and time again in the major leagues across Europe, goalkeepers flout the rules by holding on to the ball longer than the stipulated six seconds. It is one of the perfect strategies for time wasting, mostly exercised by away/inferior teams holding on for a point or an unlikely win. It is a given that referees rarely award a foul for this offence and hence there is enough impetus for teams to abuse this rule.

Perhaps if the referees are as brave as Alon Yefet who punished Mignolet, we might very well see less time being wasted and teams getting on with the game faster.

Other offences that result in indirect free-kicks

Apart from the goalkeeper offence, indirect free kicks are also awarded to the opposing team if the following offences are committed by the player in the opinion of the referee:

1. Impedes the progression of an opponent (obstruction)
2. Plays in a dangerous manner
3. Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands

In 2012, in an evenly contested match between Real Madrid and Sevilla in La Liga, the above rules were interpreted by the referee. An infringement in the penalty box was spotted by the referee when a Sevilla defender attempted to a kick a cross away, barely missing Cristiano Ronaldo’s head in the process.

The referee deemed and interpreted it as an offence of “dangerous play”, as the defender had raised his boot above his chest without making direct contact with another player. If the defender had made contact, it would have resulted in a penalty kick.

However, the best example of scoring from an indirect free-kick was former Barcelona manager – the late Tito Vilanova – who scored for Unió Esportiva Lleida, ironically against Barcelona.