Can You Score an Own Goal From a Free Kick?

Picture the scene: a defender tries to clear a swirling free kick, slices it badly, and watches in horror as the ball flies into his own net. Does the goal stand? Surprisingly, no — an own goal from a free kick is never a goal in soccer.

TL;DR: If a free kick goes directly into a team's own goal, the goal does not count and the referee awards a corner kick instead.

The Rule in Law 13

Under IFAB's Laws of the Game, Law 13 is crystal clear: if a direct or indirect free kick is kicked into the opponents' goal, a goal is awarded. But if it goes into the team's own goal, a corner kick is given to the opposition.

This applies to both direct and indirect free kicks. There is no way to score against yourself from a free kick restart.

Why the Rule Exists

Football's lawmakers designed this to keep the restart fair. A free kick rewards the team that won it, so they should never concede a goal from it. Giving the corner to the opposing team stops a free kick from producing an absurd, unintended outcome.

The same logic applies to corners and goal kicks: neither can go directly into your own net. Every dead-ball restart follows this rule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you score an own goal directly from a free kick?

No. IFAB Law 13 says a free kick into the team's own goal is not a goal — the referee awards a corner.

Does it matter if the free kick is direct or indirect?

No. Both direct and indirect free kicks into the own goal result in a corner, never a goal.

What if the ball touches another player before going in?

That changes everything. Once another player touches the ball it is no longer "kicked directly" into the goal, so a normal own goal stands.

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