The rule in one sentence

After taking a penalty, the kicker may not play the ball again until another player has touched it.

What does and does not clear the restriction

| Event | Restriction cleared? | |---|---| | Goalkeeper saves and parries | Yes — keeper touched it | | Ball deflects off the goalkeeper | Yes | | Ball deflects off a defender | Yes | | Ball deflects off the post or crossbar back to kicker | No — woodwork is not a player | | Ball goes directly back to the kicker without contact | No |

The post is the most common trap. A penalty hits the inside of the post, bounces back, and the kicker reacts quickest. If they touch it before anyone else does, it is a double touch — even though the ball travelled through the air for some time.

The sanction

A double touch on a penalty is punished with an indirect free kick to the defending team, taken from the spot where the second touch occurred.

Note: this is the same sanction structure as a goalkeeper holding the ball too long. Both are restart-related infringements rather than direct fouls.

Why this rule exists

The penalty is one shot, one chance. The rule prevents the kicker from soft-pressing the ball forward and then running onto it for a clearer shot. Without the rule, every penalty could become a controlled mini-attack rather than a single decisive moment.

A famous variation

Pelé's famously planned set piece — and Lionel Messi's modern attempt with Luis Suárez — both used the same trick. The kicker passes the ball sideways or forward instead of shooting, and a teammate runs onto it. As long as the teammate touches it first, this is legal.

Messi did this against Celta Vigo in 2016. The first touch was Messi tapping the ball forward, the second was Suárez striking it into the goal. Two players touched the ball, no double touch occurred.

Why this also applies to free kicks and corners

Law 13 applies the same rule to all kicks: the kicker cannot touch the ball twice in a row. This means a corner-taker who curls the ball but it does not leave the arc cannot retake the kick by trapping it themselves — another player must touch first.

In a penalty shootout

Shootouts have a stricter version. In a shootout (kicks from the penalty mark), the kicker only gets one attempt — the ball is dead the moment they make contact, regardless of where it goes. Rebounds are not in play during a shootout. This is one of several differences between a regular penalty kick and a shootout penalty.