High feet are judged by danger, not height alone.

How officials judge it

1. Check whether the player was trying to play the ball while the ball was in play.
2. Decide whether the action threatened injury to anyone, including the player themself.
3. Ask whether a nearby opponent was prevented from challenging because it would have been unsafe.
4. Look for contact. No contact points toward playing in a dangerous manner and an indirect free kick. Contact usually changes the offence to a direct-free-kick foul.
5. If there was contact or serious risk, judge the level of danger: careless, reckless, excessive force, or serious foul play.

What dangerous play means

Playing in a dangerous manner is an action made while trying to play the ball that threatens injury and affects an opponent's ability to play safely. A high foot is the common example, but the rule is broader. It can also include lowering the head into a dangerous area, attempting a kick near an opponent's face, or making a play that creates an unsafe challenge for the ball.

A raised boot is not automatically a foul

The referee does not punish height by itself. A player can control a high ball, volley, clear, or attempt a bicycle kick if nearby opponents are not endangered. The call changes when the boot is close enough to an opponent to create a real risk or to make the opponent pull out of a fair challenge for safety.

No contact and contact are treated differently

If the play is dangerous but no contact is made, the restart is an indirect free kick from the place where the offence happened, subject to the usual free-kick location rules. If the player makes contact with an opponent, the offence is normally punished as a direct free kick. If that direct-free-kick offence is committed by a defender inside their own penalty area, the restart can be a penalty kick.

Danger can still bring discipline

Dangerous play without contact does not automatically mean a yellow card. A caution can follow if the action is reckless, tactical, persistent, delays a restart, or stops a promising attack. A sending-off can follow when a challenge endangers an opponent's safety, uses excessive force, or is serious foul play. Referees judge the restart and the card separately.

Common match situations

• High boot near a defender's head: if the defender cannot challenge because the boot is dangerous and there is no contact, expect an indirect free kick.
• Boot catches an opponent: contact usually means a direct free kick or penalty, plus a possible yellow or red card depending on force and danger.
• Overhead kick in space: this can be legal if no opponent is endangered.
• Player stoops for a low header: the player who puts their head into a kicking area can also create danger, so the raised foot is not always the offence.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "His foot was high, so it has to be a foul" is too simple. The key question is whether the action was dangerous to someone nearby.
• "There was no contact, so play on" is wrong. Dangerous play without contact is specifically an indirect-free-kick offence.
• "He got the ball first" does not excuse a dangerous or reckless action.
• "Any overhead kick is dangerous" is wrong. It depends on the space, nearby opponents, and risk created.

Source material

• IFAB Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
• IFAB Law 13: Free Kicks
• IFAB Laws of the Game