What Happens If a Player Scores an Own Goal From a Free Kick?

Rare, chaotic, and unforgettable — an own goal from a free kick is one of football's strangest moments. If a player strikes a free kick and it flies into their own net, the referee does not point to the centre circle. Under FIFA's IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 13, a free kick can never be scored directly into the kicker's own goal.

TL;DR: A player cannot score an own goal directly from a free kick — the opposing team is awarded a corner kick instead.

The Rule Explained

Law 13 states that while a free kick may be scored directly into the opponents' goal, kicking it directly into your own goal does not count. The restart is a corner kick for the opposing team.

This applies to both direct and indirect free kicks. So a wild, mis-hit strike heading towards your own corner is simply reset as a corner — no goal, no own goal conceded.

Why the Rule Exists

The logic mirrors other Laws. Players cannot score against themselves from restarts like kick-offs, goal kicks, or throw-ins either. It stops a baffling scenario where a player punishes their own team during a restart.

Own goal via free kick = corner kick to the opposition
Own goal via throw-in, kick-off, or goal kick = also not an awarded goal
Only open play contact counts as a genuine own goal

A Corner, Not a Goal

So when the ball curls backwards off a free kick routine and nestles in the taker's own net, the defending side breathes a sigh of relief. The opponents win a corner from their own goal line — a chance, but far better than conceding.