What is Total Fouls Committed? Total Fouls Committed Explained in 2 minutes

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Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
19/04/2026 Add betting.net™ as a preferred source.

Welcome to our guide to total fouls committed betting. Perfect for anyone looking for a different way to bet on sport.

Total fouls committed is the amount of fouls perpetrated by an individual or team in an event. The bet can also refer to an entire tournament if the market is offered and the official statistician determines the result for that match, league or competition. Our guide is here to show you the best bookmakers for this kind of bet.

How is Total Fouls Committed used in Sports Betting?

Bettors will generally be able to select the total fouls committed market as an under/over type of pick. This means that they can predict either under or over the stated number for the total fouls committed in a match. Most of the bookmakers found on our site offer some form of total fouls committed betting. Best odds can be found in Bet365 with market beating odds on dozens of sports.

Any sport that has fouls and penalties as part of its rules can theoretically have this market open to bettors. That would mean basketball, for example, would not be included as players in that sport are ruled to be ‘fouled out’ once they reach a certain number. Any foul bet related to a basketball game could be too easy to call.

The total fouls committed bet is favored by bookmakers as it is a luck bet that cannot be easily researched. Although it must be said that some players – in many sports - do have reputations for committing more fouls and the market odds would be affected. Knowing these players are – or are not – involved would be advantageous.

How are fouls defined?

Fouls can happen from the very first minute of a game to the very last in over time, meaning it is a rich source of betting options. When it comes to the definition of a foul, lots of bookmakers go by the guidelines laid out by Opta Sports, a british sports analytics company that provide data on over 30 sports in over 70 countries worldwide, and most importantly to betting websites.

Here are the outlines of fouls as defined by Opta for soccer:

Foul Type	Definition
Conceded Fouls	Results in a free-kick or penalty event. Offsides are not given as a foul conceded. Incidents where a match official has played advantage and subsequently cautioned a player, do not contribute towards the total foul count for the player or team. In these scenarios a free-kick or penalty event must occur for a foul to be awarded.
Foul Won	A foul won is defined as where a player wins a free kick or penalty for their team after being fouled by an opposing player. There is no foul won for a handball, dive, back pass, illegal restart, dissent, GK 6-second violation or obstruction where a free kick is conceded. Handball – a deliberate hand ball by an opposition player Dive – a deliberate attempt for an opposition player to deceive the referee and win a free kick Back pass – a pass picked up by a goalkeeper when played from a team mate Illegal restart – an opposition player has consecutive touches directly after a dead ball situation Dissent – a player shows dissent towards a match official GK 6-second violation – when a goalkeeper picks up the ball and holds onto it longer than 6 seconds Obstruction – a player traps the ball between his legs in an attempt to stop an opposition player from playing the ball.

Foul Type

Definition

Conceded Fouls

Results in a free-kick or penalty event.
Offsides are not given as a foul conceded.
Incidents where a match official has played advantage and subsequently cautioned a player, do not contribute towards the total foul count for the player or team. In these scenarios a free-kick or penalty event must occur for a foul to be awarded.

Foul Won

A foul won is defined as where a player wins a free kick or penalty for their team after being fouled by an opposing player. There is no foul won for a handball, dive, back pass, illegal restart, dissent, GK 6-second violation or obstruction where a free kick is conceded.

Handball – a deliberate hand ball by an opposition player
Dive – a deliberate attempt for an opposition player to deceive the referee and win a free kick
Back pass – a pass picked up by a goalkeeper when played from a team mate
Illegal restart – an opposition player has consecutive touches directly after a dead ball situation
Dissent – a player shows dissent towards a match official
GK 6-second violation – when a goalkeeper picks up the ball and holds onto it longer than 6 seconds
Obstruction – a player traps the ball between his legs in an attempt to stop an opposition player from playing the ball.

Analyzing teams for the best foul bets

There will be some teams who have more of a reputation for fouls than others, all this data can be used to your advantage when it comes to picking your foul bets. With a bit of research and cross referencing between players with known rivalries ect. A picture can rapidly be built of scenarios where a strong total foul bet would become a viable option, local teams with a history of rivalries would be a good start.

Did You Know?...

It might surprise most soccer fans to learn that the players who commit the most fouls are not usually defenders – or even midfielders. Those not in the know might think that players supposedly making the most tackles in a match will be more likely to foul more but it is attacking players that usually top the foul charts. This is probably because tackling is not really one of the strengths and their timing is wrong more than right.

Conclusion - Get started with your total fouls committed bets

Betting on fouls might sound weird, but it's actually a great way to add some interest to any sporting event. So make sure that you sign up to one of our recommended bookmakers and enjoy betting on this unique kind of bet.

Total fouls committed betting FAQ

What sports can I bet on total fouls committed?

Check out our guide to see which sports you can try total fouls committed betting on. The good news is that bet applies to more sports than you think.

Which is the best betting site for total fouls committed betting?

Make sure that you read our guide to see the best online bookmakers for betting on the total fouls committed. After all, not too many betting sites feature this unique market.

How do I bet on total fouls committed?

Take a look at our guide to see how easy it is to bet on the total fouls committed in a sporting event. Plus we'll show you the best bookmakers for this betting market.