Looking at the markings of a soccer pitch, you will see within the penalty area a smaller box marked out around the goal. This inner box is called the goalie area or, more commonly, the 6-yard box. It is so-called because it stretches 6 yards on either side of the goal mouth and 6 yards outward into the penalty area, creating a rectangle. As the FIFA website notes, the goalie area was a semicircle until 1902. The box has several uses during a soccer game.
Goal Kick
The goal kick is the most common use for the markings of the inner box. A goal kick is conceded by the attacking team when one of attacking players is deemed to have last touched the ball before it goes out-of-bounds behind the goal line. The goalkeeper then places the ball in the corner of the inner box and takes the kick from there.
Free Kicks
The inner box comes into play when an infringement is caused by the defending team within the 6-yard area that is not deemed a foul or handball, which would result in a penalty. The defenders must give the attackers room to take the kick and this is what the inner box is for. If the infringement happened right on the goal line, the ball would be placed on the inner box line closest to the infringement and taken from there.
Back Pass
One such infringement that the indirect kick on the inner box line can be given for is the back pass. This law was brought in to the game in 1992 to stop excessive time wasting, notes BBC website. If a defender intentionally kicks the ball back to their goalkeeper, who then touches it with their hands, it is deemed a back-pass. It is acceptable for the defender to head the ball back to the goalkeeper.
Carding
The inner box can be used to take an indirect free kick when the defending team cause an infringement that does not directly effect the game. For instance, if a defending player who was standing on the goal line gave verbal abuse to the referee or another player, the referee can stop the game, give the player a red or yellow card and then award the indirect free kick on the inner box line.
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