Encroachment at Free Kicks & Penalties

Opponents must be at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) from the ball at free kicks. At penalties, all players except the kicker and goalkeeper must be outside the penalty area. Encroachment by an outfield player at a penalty is not an offence on its own: it is penalised only where it clearly impacted an opponent, or where the encroaching player got involved in play and that changed the goal-scoring outcome.^2, ^3, ^9, ^10, ^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ¹⁸

Key points

✓Opponents must be 10 yards from the ball at free kicks, unless on their own goal line between the posts^2, ³
✓Quick free kick intercepted by an opponent inside 10 yards: play continues⁶
✓Deliberately preventing a quick free kick restart is a caution for delaying the restart⁶
✓Attacking players must stay 1 yard from a wall of three or more defenders, or concede an indirect free kick^5, ⁷
✓At penalties, all outfield players must be outside the area until the ball is kicked^9, ^10, ¹²
✓Penalty encroachment is penalised only where it clearly impacted an opponent, or the encroacher got involved in play and that changed the goal-scoring outcome^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ¹⁸

Show the remaining 4 key points

✓Penalised attacking encroachment: goal is retaken, no goal is an indirect free kick to the defence^1, ^12, ^19, ^20, ²¹
✓Penalised defending encroachment: goal stands, no goal is a retake^12, ^26, ^27, ²⁸
✓Encroachment below that threshold is not penalised at all, so the outcome of the kick stands either way^12, ^13, ¹⁶
✓Both teams offend: retake, unless a player commits a more serious offence^12, ²⁹

Read the full rule

Scenarios

Scenario 1

Attacker enters area early, penalty scored

Goal

An attacking player enters the penalty area before the kick is taken. The penalty is scored.

Correct call: Retake only if the encroachment is penalised, meaning it clearly impacted the goalkeeper, or the encroaching attacker played the ball or challenged for it and then scored, attempted to score, or created a goal-scoring opportunity. If the goalkeeper was not affected and the encroacher never became involved, the goal stands.

Common mistake: Automatically ordering a retake whenever an attacker encroaches. Since 2026/27 the impact or involvement threshold has to be met before there is any offence to punish.

Law^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^19, ²⁰

Scenario 2

Defender encroaches, penalty missed

No goal

A defending player enters the penalty area before the kick. The penalty hits the post and goes wide.

Correct call: Retake only if the encroachment is penalised, meaning it clearly impacted the kicker, or the encroaching defender played the ball or challenged for it and thereby prevented a goal, an attempt on goal, or a goal-scoring opportunity. A defender who strayed marginally into the area with no effect on the kick is not penalised, and the miss stands.

Common mistake: Ordering an automatic retake because a defender was inside the area when the penalty missed. Early entry alone is not the offence, and giving the kicker a second attempt after an unaffected miss rewards the miss.

Law^12, ^16, ^17, ^18, ^26, ²⁸

Scenario 3

Player stands 8 yards from free kick

No foul

A player in the wall is 8 yards from the ball rather than the required 10 yards when a free kick is taken.

Correct call: The default is a retake unless advantage can be applied. If the attacking team took the kick quickly and the opponent inside 10 yards intercepted it, play continues instead. If the opponent deliberately stood close to stop a quick restart, caution them for delaying the restart of play.

Common mistake: Treating play on as the default. Play continues where a quick kick is intercepted, but an opponent inside the required distance otherwise means the kick is retaken unless advantage favours the attacking team.

Law⁶

The full rule

Encroachment means a player entering a restricted area before the ball is in play. At free kicks, opponents must remain at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play, unless they are on their own goal line between the goalposts. Where the free kick is taken by the defending team inside its own penalty area, the opponents must also be outside that penalty area, and if they were inside it only because they did not have time to leave, the referee allows play to continue unless one of them touches or challenges for the ball before it is in play. If an opponent is closer than the required distance when the kick is taken, the kick is retaken unless advantage can be applied. There is an important exception for quick free kicks: if the kick is taken quickly and an opponent within 10 yards intercepts it, play continues. An opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly is cautioned for delaying the restart of play. A separate rule runs the other way: where three or more defending players form a wall, every attacking player must stay at least 1 metre (1 yard) from that wall until the ball is in play, and an attacker closer than that concedes an indirect free kick. At penalties the position is different, and it changed materially for 2026/27. Encroachment by an outfield player is no longer an offence simply because the player was early into the area. A team-mate of the kicker is penalised only if the encroachment clearly impacted the goalkeeper, or the encroaching player played the ball or challenged for it and then scored, attempted to score, or created a goal-scoring opportunity. A team-mate of the goalkeeper is penalised only if the encroachment clearly impacted the kicker, or the encroaching player played the ball or challenged for it and thereby prevented the opponents from scoring, attempting to score, or creating a goal-scoring opportunity. Only once encroachment clears that threshold does the outcome of the kick decide the restart. Where the kicker or a team-mate offends, a scored penalty is retaken and a penalty that does not go in is punished with an indirect free kick to the defending team. Where a team-mate of the goalkeeper offends, a scored penalty is awarded and stands, and a penalty that does not go in is retaken. If players of both teams offend, the kick is retaken, unless a player commits a more serious offence such as illegal feinting. The goalkeeper's own goal-line offence is judged separately from encroachment: a goal stands, a save forces a retake, and a miss or a rebound off the frame forces a retake only where the goalkeeper's offence clearly impacted the kicker.^1, ^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^7, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ^18, ^19, ^20, ^21, ^22, ^23, ^24, ^25, ^26, ^27, ^28, ²⁹