Easy: Free kick
Easy: Free kick
Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.
This episode is easy so we’re looking at common football words and phrases. Things you use and need to know to play the game.
Summary
Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the word free-kick.
You can find more lessons on the side of this page.
Transcript
Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.
Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time.
Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.
Jack: This episode is easy so we’re looking at common football words and phrases. Things you use and need to know to play the game.
Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is a free kick.
Jack: A free kick is when the referee stops play and gives a player an opportunity to kick the ball without an opponent tackling or trying to take the ball off them.
Rich: You are given a free kick when the other team does something wrong - when they commit a foul.
Jack: The referee gives or awards free kicks. When a team has a free kick the other team must be at least ten yards away from the ball.
Rich: Ten yards?
Jack: Ten yards is 9.15 metres. A yard is a measurement that is used in the UK and the US. It’s not used so much in the UK these days.
Rich: But when this rule was introduced we used yards in Britain. It must be difficult for referees to get it exactly right.
Jack: I think referees usually estimate the distance. They also use that magic white spray now. I think that makes it easier and makes sure that defenders don’t get too close to the ball.
Rich: Have a listen to this conversation:
Jack: The ref’s got to give a free kick there.
Rich: It’s just outside the penalty area. Who’s going to take it?
Jack: Alexander-Arnold usually takes free kicks from here. Salah might take it.
Rich: It’s gonna be Salah. It’s over the wall. Goal!
Jack: What a free kick!
Rich: So, referees give or award free kicks and players take free kicks.
Jack: We often speak about who takes free kicks. Who takes free kicks for your team?
Rich: Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold often take free kicks for Liverpool.
Jack: Granit Xhaka takes free kicks for Arsenal when they are a long way from goal and Lacazette or Aubameyang might take them when they are near the penalty area.
Rich: In the example you just heard, Jack said ‘What a free kick!’ He used it to say that it was a fantastic free kick in the same way you might say ‘What a goal’ when a player scores a great goal.
Rich: A free kick can be awarded anywhere on the pitch.
Jack: But if a foul is committed by a player in their own penalty area then a penalty is awarded.
Rich: Normally but not always.
Jack: Ahh, that’s because we have two different types of free kick. A direct free kick and an indirect free kick.
Rich: That’s right. A direct free kick is given for more serious things like bad tackles and handball.
Jack: You can score directly from a direct free kick. If these things happen in the penalty area a penalty kick would be awarded.
Rich: An indirect free kick is given for less serious things like obstruction which is blocking an opponent, a goalkeeper picking up a back pass, offside and many other offences.
Jack: You can’t score directly from an indirect free kick. You need to pass the ball needs to hit an opponent before it goes in the net.
Rich: How do you know if your team has a direct or indirect free kick?
Jack: Look at the referee. If the referee’s hand is in the air it’s an indirect free kick.
Final whistle
Rich: There is the final whistle!
Jack: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.
Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.
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Comments
08/08/2023
points
The best free kick I saw was Messi scoring against Liverpool in semi-final of the UCL.
08/08/2023 15:31
Manchester City
383
The best free kick I saw was Messi scoring against Liverpool in semi-final of the UCL.
17/02/2022
points
The free kick of Beckham in the World Cup qualifier match between England against Scotland was the best free kick I’ve seen.
17/02/2022 10:08
Manchester United
738
The free kick of Beckham in the World Cup qualifier match between England against Scotland was the best free kick I’ve seen.
30/04/2021
points
Roberto Carlos from Brazil against France in 1997.
30/04/2021 14:54
Arsenal
1512
Roberto Carlos from Brazil against France in 1997.
03/12/2020
points
The best free-kick I've ever seen was kicked by Marlos from Shakhtar Donetsk.
03/12/2020 18:50
Liverpool
6578
The best free-kick I've ever seen was kicked by Marlos from Shakhtar Donetsk.
03/12/2020
points
Michel Platini and Andrea Pirlo are gurus of free kicks.
03/12/2020 18:46
Liverpool
6578
Michel Platini and Andrea Pirlo are gurus of free kicks.
23/04/2020
points
The best free kick that I've ever seen is the Roberto Carlo's free kick against France.
23/04/2020 19:23
Manchester United
496
The best free kick that I've ever seen is the Roberto Carlo's free kick against France.
19/04/2020
points
Absolutely and definitely Messi.
19/04/2020 18:15
Tottenham Hotspur
5560
Absolutely and definitely Messi.
10/04/2020
points
Personally The best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season. But fortunately for Liverpool it wasn't enought for Barcelone !
10/04/2020 11:29
Liverpool
231
Personally The best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season. But fortunately for Liverpool it wasn't enought for Barcelone !
29/03/2020
points
The best free-kicks I've ever seen for 8 years are of Lionel Messi, CR7, Andrea Pirlo, etc.
29/03/2020 15:14
Manchester City
37
The best free-kicks I've ever seen for 8 years are of Lionel Messi, CR7, Andrea Pirlo, etc.
26/03/2020
points
I loved Roberto Carlos's free kicks. When he hit the ball with the outside of the foot and making an effect on the ball. Surely some of his is the best free kick I've ever seen.
26/03/2020 00:09
Leeds United
5086
I loved Roberto Carlos's free kicks. When he hit the ball with the outside of the foot and making an effect on the ball. Surely some of his is the best free kick I've ever seen.
26/03/2020
points
I agree with you wsanta. Talking about Brazilians, I also liked Marcelinho Carioca, the goalkeeper Rogério Ceni, Neto, Zico and Juninho Pernambucano free kicks. Unfortunately, we don't have such greatest free-kick takers like them anymore.
26/03/2020 14:24
Tottenham Hotspur
615
I agree with you wsanta. Talking about Brazilians, I also liked Marcelinho Carioca, the goalkeeper Rogério Ceni, Neto, Zico and Juninho Pernambucano free kicks. Unfortunately, we don't have such greatest free-kick takers like them anymore.
02/04/2020
points
Hi Rafael. Great players all of them, regards.
02/04/2020 06:47
Leeds United
5086
Hi Rafael. Great players all of them, regards.
25/03/2020
points
the best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season.
25/03/2020 17:02
Manchester City
13
the best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season.
29/03/2020
points
I agree with Francesco. It was the best free kick I've ever seen for 5 years in Champions League.
29/03/2020 15:09
Manchester City
37
I agree with Francesco. It was the best free kick I've ever seen for 5 years in Champions League.