When a player is fouled in football, they will be given a free-kick. This is the opportunity to take a single uncontested kick, pass, or shot of the ball without an opposition player allowed to be within 10 yards of you. However, we get different forms of free kick in the sport of football – the two most common forms are known as indirect and direct free kicks.

An indirect free kick will be signalled by the referee by raising the arm above their head. The signal is maintained until the kick is actually taken and the ball either touches another player or goes out of play. However, you cannot score a goal directly from an indirect free kick. Perhaps unfairly, the free kick must be retaken if the ball enters the net – even if the referee has failed to make the symbol for an indirect free kick.

Indirect free kicks are different from direct free kicks both on how they are awarded and how they are used. Indirect free kicks tend to be given for a variety of different reasons, but the most common reason for an indirect free kick would be a player being called offside. Normally, indirect free kicks are given for technical fouls as opposed to a standard foul.

So, it could be something be given for all manner of things, including ‘dangerous play’ or ‘impeding progress without making contact’. Suffice to say, the rules are quite vague. Indirect free kicks can be awarded for things as varied as dissent, using foul language, or for covering any kind of foul the referee deems outside the spirit of the game without necessarily being in the rules.

Deliberate pass-backs and pickups from goalkeepers are another common one, though less regularly seen in the modern game due to how long the pass-back rule has been removed. Indirect free kicks are often given; we just don’t realise due to where they are provided and how unlikely a shot on goal would be anyway.