free kick: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Sports journalism, football commentary, everyday sports conversation.
Quick answer
What does “free kick” mean?
In association football (soccer), an uncontested kick awarded to a team after an opponent commits a foul or certain other infringements.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In association football (soccer), an uncontested kick awarded to a team after an opponent commits a foul or certain other infringements.
An unopposed opportunity to act or attack, often used metaphorically in non-sporting contexts to describe a chance to proceed without interference.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is identical in meaning and form in both British and American English. The difference lies in cultural frequency: it is a far more common term in BrE due to the dominance of football (soccer) over American football.
Connotations
In BrE, immediate, precise mental imagery of a football/soccer match. In AmE, the term is recognized but may require slight mental translation for non-soccer fans.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in UK sports media; moderate to low frequency in general US media, except in specific soccer contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “free kick” in a Sentence
[Team/Player] was awarded a free kick for [foul].[Player] took the free kick from [position].The referee blew for a free kick.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “free kick” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The referee signalled to free-kick the offence.
- (Note: 'free-kick' as a verb is rare and non-standard, mostly journalistic).
American English
- (Rare to non-existent in AmE).
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form).
American English
- (No standard adverbial form).
adjective
British English
- (Used attributively) 'His free-kick technique is world-class.'
- 'They practised free-kick routines for hours.'
American English
- (Identical usage in soccer contexts).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphor: 'The new regulations gave our competitors a free kick in the market.' Meaning: an uncontested advantage.
Academic
Rarely used outside of sports sociology or linguistics papers discussing metaphor.
Everyday
Primarily used in discussions about football/soccer matches.
Technical
Specific to the Laws of the Game in football: Law 13 - Free Kicks, distinguishing between direct and indirect.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “free kick”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “free kick”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “free kick”
- Using 'free kick' to refer to a 'penalty kick' (which is a specific type of free kick taken from the penalty spot).
- Incorrect plural: 'free kicks' (correct), not 'free kick' for plural.
- Saying 'do a free kick' instead of 'take a free kick'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A goal can be scored directly from a direct free kick (the ball can go straight into the net). For an indirect free kick, the ball must touch another player before a goal is scored.
Yes, but if the defending team commits a handball or a foul punishable by a direct free kick inside their own penalty area, it results in a penalty kick, not a standard free kick.
No. A penalty kick is a specific type of direct free kick taken from the penalty mark, with only the goalkeeper to beat. All penalty kicks are free kicks, but not all free kicks are penalties.
Yes, it is sometimes used metaphorically to describe an uncontested opportunity or an advantage given by circumstances (e.g., 'The tax break was a free kick for the industry'). However, this is less common than the sporting use.
In association football (soccer), an uncontested kick awarded to a team after an opponent commits a foul or certain other infringements.
Free kick is usually sports journalism, football commentary, everyday sports conversation. in register.
Free kick: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfriː ˈkɪk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfri ˈkɪk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To have a free kick at something (Aus/NZ informal): to have an uncontested attempt or chance to criticise.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'FREE' from pressure + 'KICK' the ball. You get a 'free' chance to 'kick' without anyone trying to tackle you.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IS A FREE KICK / AN OPPORTUNITY IS A SET PIECE.
Practice
Quiz
In football, what is the primary reason a free kick is awarded?