What is a penalty kick?

A penalty kick is a one-on-one shot from 12 yards out, awarded when an opponent commits a foul or handball inside their own penalty area. The kicker faces only the goalkeeper. Every other player has to stay outside the box until the ball is struck.

The 30-second version

• Awarded for any direct-free-kick foul committed inside the defending team's penalty area.
• The ball is placed on the penalty spot — 12 yards from the goal line, centred.
• The kicker takes a single shot.
• The goalkeeper must keep one foot on or behind the goal line until the kick is taken.
• All other players must be outside the box, behind the spot, at least 10 yards from the ball.

When a penalty is given

The penalty area extends 18 yards out from the goal line and 18 yards either side of the goal posts. Any foul that would be a direct free kick if committed elsewhere is a penalty if committed inside that box:

• Pushing, holding, or tripping an opponent
• Dangerous or reckless tackles
• Handball (deliberate, or accidental that gains an advantage)
• Charging into an opponent

It doesn't matter where the ball is. What matters is where the foul is. A defender pulling an attacker's shirt inside the box is a penalty even if the ball is at the other end.

How the kick is taken

1. Ball placed on the penalty spot.
2. Goalkeeper on the line, between the posts, at least one foot on or behind the line.
3. All other players outside the box, behind the spot, at least 10 yards from the ball.
4. Referee blows the whistle.
5. Kicker takes a single, continuous run-up and strikes the ball forward.

The kicker cannot stop their run-up to fake a shot (a "stutter" or "step-stop" kick). They can chip, side-foot, or smash it — anything is allowed as long as the ball goes forward in one motion.

A simple example

Striker dribbles into the box. The defender catches him with a leg as he goes past. He goes down.

The referee points to the spot. Ball goes on the penalty mark. The striker steps up. Goalkeeper waits on the line. Whistle. Striker side-foots into the corner.

1–0.

If the keeper had saved it and the ball came back into play, anyone could chase the rebound — including the original kicker. The kicker just can't touch the ball twice in a row before another player has touched it. So they can follow up on a parried save, but not on a ball that bounces back to them off the goalpost without anyone else touching it first.

Penalty in open play vs in a shootout

The kick is identical: same spot, same one-keeper-one-kicker setup, same rules on movement.

The differences:

• In open play, the score updates and play continues. Rebounds are live.
• In a shootout, the kick is "done" once it's taken. No rebounds, no follow-ups. Whether it's a goal or a save, the next player walks up and the score is tracked as kicks made out of kicks taken.

Common confusion

• "That foul was outside the box." — The foul has to start inside the box. The line is part of the box. If the contact begins inside the box and continues outside, it's still a penalty.
• "The keeper saved it but moved early." — A save with the keeper clearly off the line before the kick is taken can be retaken under the current law. Tiny movement is generally ignored.
• **"He kicked it backward, that's a fail." — Yes. The ball must go forward. Some teams use this to set up a teammate (kicker passes the ball forward, teammate runs onto it), which is legal as long as the forward condition is met and the kicker doesn't touch it again first.

What fans usually get wrong

• A penalty is not "two-touch" automatic. The kicker can touch it again — they just can't be the very next person to touch the ball after themselves.
• The keeper does not have to stay completely still. They can move along the line and dive — they just can't come off the line before the strike.
• A penalty awarded but missed is not retaken just because of a save. It's only retaken for an illegal early movement by the keeper, encroachment by other players, or if the ball was placed wrong.

Official rule basis

Penalty kicks are governed by Law 14 of the IFAB Laws of the Game. The current rules on goalkeeper movement (one foot on or behind the line) were clarified in 2019 and are enforced by VAR in major tournaments.