The quick answer
Penalty kick: a defender commits a direct free kick foul inside their own penalty area. The line counts as inside. Free kick: the foul happened outside the area, even if the player fell inside it. Or the offence was an indirect one.
See what changes
Choose a play. Use Play or Freeze decision, then read the example.
A defender trips the attacker a couple of yards inside the penalty area.
- Blue team
- Green team
- Goalkeeper
- Referee or assistant
Foul inside
A defender trips the attacker a couple of yards inside the penalty area.
Paused
Foul inside
A defender trips the attacker a couple of yards inside the penalty area.
Penalty kick
A trip is a direct free kick foul, and it happened inside the defender's own penalty area.
Foul outside, falls inside
The trip happens just outside the area. The attacker stumbles on and lands inside it.
Free kick, not a penalty
The place of the foul decides it. Where the player ends up does not matter.
Foul on the line
The trip happens right on the edge-of-the-area line.
Penalty kick
The lines are part of the areas they mark. On the line is inside.
Indirect offence inside
Inside their own penalty area, the goalkeeper handles a ball deliberately kicked to them by a teammate, without first clearly kicking or attempting to kick it to release it into play.
Indirect free kick, not a penalty
Only direct free kick fouls become penalties. This offence gives an indirect free kick, taken inside the area.
Common misunderstandings
- “He went down in the box, so it is a penalty.” Not if the foul happened outside it.
- “On the line is outside.” No. The line belongs to the penalty area.
- “Any foul in the box is a penalty.” No. It has to be a direct free kick foul by the defending team. A foul by an attacker there is a free kick to the defenders.
What happens next?
The spot of the offence decides these trips. Holding that starts outside and continues inside is a penalty. An attacking indirect kick for an offence inside the goal area moves to its parallel line nearest the offence.
What signal might you see?
The referee points to the penalty mark for a penalty, or raises an arm for an indirect free kick.
Check your competition
Check your competition’s written rules and edition. Adapted youth formats may differ. The selected website city does not change the match rules.
Make the call
One question. No score or account needed.
A defender trips an attacker on their own penalty-area line. What is awarded?
Sources and review
Rules edition: 2026/27 · Sources checked:
Prepared with AI assistance; checked against the linked rules. Simplified illustrations are teaching examples. AI transparency
Was this explanation helpful?