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A free kick being taken.

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.

Discuss

What's the best free kick you've ever seen?

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Comments

KareemZain
08/08/2023
EG
383
points

The best free kick I saw was Messi scoring against Liverpool in semi-final of the UCL.


KareemZain
08/08/2023 15:31
Egypt
Manchester City
383

The best free kick I saw was Messi scoring against Liverpool in semi-final of the UCL.

Michaelsun
17/02/2022
CN
738
points

The free kick of Beckham in the World Cup qualifier match between England against Scotland was the best free kick I’ve seen.


Michaelsun
17/02/2022 10:08
China
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.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
30/04/2021
BR
1512
points

Roberto Carlos from Brazil against France in 1997.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
30/04/2021 14:54
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

Roberto Carlos from Brazil against France in 1997.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020
UA
6578
points

The best free-kick I've ever seen was kicked by Marlos from Shakhtar Donetsk.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020 18:50
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

The best free-kick I've ever seen was kicked by Marlos from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Michel Platini and Andrea Pirlo are gurus of free kicks.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
03/12/2020 18:46
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Michel Platini and Andrea Pirlo are gurus of free kicks.

Hector Pinzon's picture
Hector Pinzon
23/04/2020
CO
496
points

The best free kick that I've ever seen is the Roberto Carlo's free kick against France.


Hector Pinzon's picture
Hector Pinzon
23/04/2020 19:23
Colombia
Manchester United
496

The best free kick that I've ever seen is the Roberto Carlo's free kick against France.

hsn's picture
hsn
19/04/2020
TR
5560
points

Absolutely and definitely Messi.


hsn's picture
hsn
19/04/2020 18:15
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

Absolutely and definitely Messi.

Leblois Thierry's picture
Leblois Thierry
10/04/2020
FR
231
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 !


Leblois Thierry's picture
Leblois Thierry
10/04/2020 11:29
France
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 !

Roberto Ruiz's picture
Roberto Ruiz
29/03/2020
ES
37
points

The best free-kicks I've ever seen for 8 years are of Lionel Messi, CR7, Andrea Pirlo, etc.


Roberto Ruiz's picture
Roberto Ruiz
29/03/2020 15:14
Spain
Manchester City
37

The best free-kicks I've ever seen for 8 years are of Lionel Messi, CR7, Andrea Pirlo, etc.

wsanta's picture
wsanta
26/03/2020
AR
5086
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.


wsanta's picture
wsanta
26/03/2020 00:09
Argentina
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.

Rafael Robson's picture
Rafael Robson
26/03/2020
BR
615
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.


Rafael Robson's picture
Rafael Robson
26/03/2020 14:24
Brazil
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.

wsanta's picture
wsanta
02/04/2020
AR
5086
points

Hi Rafael. Great players all of them, regards.


wsanta's picture
wsanta
02/04/2020 06:47
Argentina
Leeds United
5086

Hi Rafael. Great players all of them, regards.

Francesco's picture
Francesco
25/03/2020
IT
13
points

the best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season.


Francesco's picture
Francesco
25/03/2020 17:02
Italy
Manchester City
13

the best free kick I've ever seen is one of Lionel Messi against Liverpool in Champions League last season.

Roberto Ruiz's picture
Roberto Ruiz
29/03/2020
ES
37
points

I agree with Francesco. It was the best free kick I've ever seen for 5 years in Champions League.


Roberto Ruiz's picture
Roberto Ruiz
29/03/2020 15:09
Spain
Manchester City
37

I agree with Francesco. It was the best free kick I've ever seen for 5 years in Champions League.

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Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1Alex_from_Ukraine6578
2mobeckham6539
3hsn5560
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4779
6Liubomyr4417
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
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2Ukraine33892
3Spain29525
4Serbia27426
5Brazil23505
6Albania20578
7Vietnam20460
8Turkey20111
9Macedonia19074
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1Manchester United146944
2Liverpool111456
3Chelsea90265
4Arsenal86299
5Manchester City58918
6Tottenham Hotspur19506
7Newcastle United10626
8West Ham United7701
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Average: 1 (1 vote)

Goals

Learn more football vocabulary.