1. Direct free kick
The provision as it is printed, and everything on Ruleside that turns on it.
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
Verdicts that turn on it 3
Walk a practice scenario to any of these and this clause is part of the answer.
Explained in the rules library 13
The plain-language pages that build on this provision.
- Dangerous Play
- Elbow Use in Challenges
- Fair Shoulder Charge
- Foul Location: Where is the Free Kick Taken?
- What Is a Foul, and What Does It Cost?
- Fouls on the Goalkeeper
- High Foot & Scissor Kick
- Holding & Shirt Pulling
- Jumping at an Opponent
- Persistent Fouling
- Pushing an Opponent
- Simulation (Diving)
- Tripping an Opponent
Applied in these incidents 8
Real decisions where this clause decided what should have happened.
- Calatrava's challenge on CarrerasEspanyol vs Real Madrid
- Gordon's tackle on RincónBarcelona vs Athletic Club
- Guruzeta's boot to Cubarsí's headBarcelona vs Athletic Club
- Le Normand's push on MikautadzeAtlético Madrid vs Villarreal
- Lejeune's trip on CarrerasReal Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
- Chust's trip on RaphinhaElche vs Barcelona
- Yamal's step on a defenderBarcelona vs Athletic Club
- Taremi's disallowed free-kick goalBelgium vs Iran
Questions that ask it 3
Points in a walk where the reader is deciding this provision.
A threshold you can weigh 1
The severity panel reads what you can see in a challenge toward this definition. The observations there are Ruleside's reading; this clause is the Law.
The Laws of the Game are published by The IFAB and quoted here for the purpose of explaining the decisions on this site. Ruleside is not affiliated with The IFAB or FIFA. Every clause of Fouls and Misconduct that Ruleside cites.