Last reviewed: May 2025
Kicks or attempts to kick
SoccerRule
A player cannot kick or attempt to kick an opponent. Contact with the ball is relevant but not decisive. What matters is whether the action was directed at the opponent carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force.
Common Misconception
If the foot hit the ball, there's no foul. That's not how it works. A player can get a touch on the ball and still foul the opponent if the force or follow-through of the kicking motion carried into them. The ball coming first doesn't absorb the contact that follows.
What the Referee Is Watching
The trajectory and follow-through of the kicking leg. A controlled pass that incidentally clips an opponent reads differently than a driven leg that sweeps through a challenge. Referees look at whether the kicking motion was proportionate to playing the ball and whether the force used was necessary.
Realistic Example
The Call
A defender slides and gets a clean touch on the ball, but the follow-through catches the attacker's ankle. Foul. The contact with the opponent was careless regardless of the initial touch on the ball.
The Murky Case
Two players go for a 50/50 ball, both make contact with it simultaneously, and both go down. The referee has to determine who initiated the kicking motion into the other player's space and whose force caused the outcome. No-calls on genuine 50/50s are often correct.
Last reviewed: May 2025
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