Own Goal From a Free Kick? The Rule Explained

Picture the scene: a defender under pressure slices a free kick back towards his own goal, the keeper dives, and the ball flies into the wrong net. Surely that counts as an own goal from a free kick — right? Actually, no. Under the Laws of the Game, you cannot score an own goal directly from a free kick, and the referee will not award it.

TL;DR: If the ball goes straight into the kicker's own goal from a free kick without touching another player, no goal is given — instead the opponents get a corner kick.

The Law 13 free kick rule

The rule appears in Law 13 of the IFAB Laws of the Game. A free kick is a restart meant to give the attacking side a scoring chance towards the opponents' goal. You cannot use it to score into your own net.

If the ball enters the kicker's own goal directly, without deflecting off anyone else, no goal is awarded. The play stops and the opposing team is given a corner kick instead.

The same rule applies to most restarts

This isn't unique to free kicks. According to the laws, an own goal cannot be scored directly from:

• A kick-off
• A goal kick
• A throw-in
• A corner kick
• A penalty kick

So the can't score against yourself principle is a consistent theme across almost every restart in football.

The key detail is the word directly. The ball must go in without touching another player first.

When it does count as a goal

The rule only protects the kicker from scoring into their own net in one clean movement. If the ball deflects off another player before crossing the line, then everything changes. A defender's touch, a bobble off a teammate, or a misjudged clearance can turn a routine free kick into a legitimate own goal — one that is credited to the defending player and counts on the scoresheet.

In other words, a free kick is only safe if nobody else touches the ball on its way into the wrong goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

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