


It is legal to feint to take a free kick to confuse opponents. A free kick can be taken by lifting the ball with a foot or both feet simultaneously. The ball must be kicked (a goalkeeper may not pick up the ball). The ball becomes in play as soon as it is kicked and clearly moves. If the defending team forms a "wall" of three or more players, all attacking players must be at least 1 m (1 yard) from the wall until the ball is in play. If the free kick is taken from within the kicking team's penalty area, opponents must be outside the penalty area.

Opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play, unless they are on their own goal-line between the goal-posts. The ball must be stationary and on the ground. for certain technical offences (a substitute starts a match without the referee being informed a player or team official enters the playing area without the referee's permission but without interfering with the game) play is started with an indirect free kick from the place where the ball was when play stopped.

