![2017-09-13 - Atlanta United vs New England Revolution - Martinez scoring](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/2017-09-13_-_Atlanta_United_vs_New_England_Revolution_-_Martinez_scoring.jpg)
A penalty kick (commonly known as a penalty or a spot kick) is a method of restarting play in
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, in which a player is allowed to take a single shot at the goal while it is defended only by the opposing team's
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
. It is awarded when an offence punishable by a
direct free kick
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.
Direct and indirect free kicks
Free kicks may be either direct or indirect, distinguished as follows:
...
is committed by a player in their own
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
. The shot is taken from the penalty mark, which is 11 m (12 yards) from the goal line and centred between the touch lines.
Procedure
![Goal area and penalty area green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Goal_area_and_penalty_area_green.png)
The ball is placed on the penalty mark, regardless of where in the penalty area the foul occurred. The player taking the kick must be identified to the referee. Only the kicker and the defending team's goalkeeper are allowed to be within the penalty area; all other players must be within the field of play, outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and a minimum of 9.15m (10 yd) from the penalty mark (this distance is denoted by the penalty arc). The goalkeeper is allowed to move before the ball is kicked, but must remain on the goal-line between the goal-posts, facing the kicker, without touching the goalposts, crossbar, or goal net. At the moment the kick is taken, the goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot touching, or in line with, the goal line. The assistant referee responsible for the goal line where the penalty kick is being taken is positioned at the intersection of the penalty area and goal line, and assists the referee in looking for infringements and/or whether a goal is scored.
The referee blows the whistle to indicate that the penalty kick may be taken. The kicker may make feinting (deceptive or distracting) movements during the run-up to the ball, but may not do so once the run-up is completed. The kick and the last step the kicker takes must be in motion. The ball must be stationary before the kick, and it must be kicked forward. The ball is in play once it is kicked and moves, and at that time other players may enter the penalty area and the penalty arc. The kicker may not touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player of either team or goes out of play (including into the goal).
Infringements
In case of an infringement of the laws of the game during a penalty kick, most commonly entering the penalty area illegally, the referee must consider both whether the ball entered the goal, and which team(s) committed the offence. If both teams commit an offence, a rekick is taken.
![Ivory Coast penalty](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Ivory_Coast_penalty.jpg)
The following infringements committed by the kicking team result in an
indirect free kick
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.
Direct and indirect free kicks
Free kicks may be either direct or indirect, distinguished as follows:
...
for the defending team, regardless of the outcome of the kick:
* a teammate of the identified kicker kicks the ball instead (the player who took the kick is
cautioned)
* kicker feints kicking the ball at the end of the run-up (the kicker is cautioned)
* kick does not go forward
* kicker touches the ball a second time before it touches another player (includes rebounds off the goal posts or crossbar)
In the case of a player repeatedly infringing the laws during the penalty kick, the referee may caution the player for persistent infringement. All offences that occur before kick may be dealt with in this manner, regardless of the location of the offence.
If the ball touches an outside agent (i.e., an object foreign to the playing field) as it moves forward from the kick, the kick is retaken.
Tap penalty
A two-man penalty, or "tap" penalty, occurs when the kicker, instead of shooting for goal, taps the ball slightly forward so that a teammate can run on to it and shoot or pass. If properly executed, it is a legal play since the kicker is not required to shoot for goal and need only kick the ball forward. This strategy relies heavily on the element of surprise, as it first requires the goalkeeper to believe the kicker will actually shoot, then dive or move to one side in response. It then requires the goalkeeper to remain out of position long enough for the kicker's teammate to reach the ball before any defenders, and for that teammate to place a shot on the undefended side of the goal.
The first recorded tap penalty was taken by
Jimmy McIlroy
James McIlroy (25 October 1931 – 20 August 2018) was a Northern Ireland international footballer, who played for Glentoran, Burnley, Stoke City and Oldham Athletic. He was regarded as one of Burnley's greatest players, having played 497 matc ...
and
Danny Blanchflower of
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
against Portugal on 1 May 1957. Another was taken by
Rik Coppens and
André Piters
André Piters (18 January 1931 – 23 October 2014) was a Belgian footballer who played as a striker.
Career
Piters played club football for Herve, Standard Liège, Olympic de Charleroi and Fortuna 54.
He earned a total of 23 caps for Belgi ...
in the World Cup Qualifying match Belgium v Iceland on 5 June 1957. Another attempt was made by
Mike Trebilcock
Michael Trebilcock (born 29 November 1944) is an English retired professional footballer. He played primarily as a winger and is most famous for scoring twice in the 1966 FA Cup Final for Everton, becoming the first black player to score in a ...
and
John Newman, playing for
Plymouth Argyle in 1964.
In 1982,
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...
passed to his
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
team-mate
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a left winger. He is best remembered for representing Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. He was a regular player for the Danish na ...
, who then passed back, allowing Cruyff to tap in for a goal.
Arsenal players
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best player ...
and
Robert Pires
Robert Emmanuel Pires (born 29 October 1973) is a French football coach and former professional player.
Pires played for French clubs Metz and Marseille prior to his time with Arsenal, where he won two FA Cups and two Premier League titles inclu ...
failed in an attempt at a similar penalty in 2005, during a
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
match against
Manchester City at
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was sit ...
. Pires ran in to take the kick, attempted to pass to the onrushing Henry, but miskicked and the ball hardly moved; as he had slightly touched the ball, he could not touch it again, and City defender
Sylvain Distin cleared the ball before Henry could shoot.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
tapped a penalty for
Luis Suárez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...
as Suárez completed his hat-trick on 14 February 2016 against league opponents
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta de Vigo or simply Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues ...
.
Saving tactics
"Reading" the kicker
Defending against a penalty kick is one of the most difficult tasks a goalkeeper can face. Owing to the short distance between the penalty spot and the goal, there is very little time to react to the shot. Because of this, the goalkeeper will usually start their dive before the ball is actually struck. In effect, the goalkeeper must act on their best prediction about where the shot will be aimed. Some goalkeepers decide which way they will dive beforehand, thus giving themselves a good chance of diving in time. Others try to read the kicker's motion pattern. On the other side, kickers often feign and prefer a relatively slow shot in an attempt to foil the goalkeeper. The potentially most fruitful approach, shooting high and centre, i.e., in the space that the goalkeeper will evacuate, also carries the highest risk of shooting above the bar.
As the shooter makes their approach to the ball, the goalkeeper has only a fraction of a second to "read" the shooter's motions and decide where the ball will go. If their guess is correct, this may result in a missed penalty.
Helmuth Duckadam
Helmut Robert Duckadam (; born 1 April 1959) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He was dubbed "the Hero of Seville" due to his performance in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his club Steaua București, where he sa ...
,
Steaua București's goalkeeper, saved a record four consecutive penalties in the
1986 European Cup Final against
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. He dived three times to the right and a fourth time to his left to save all penalties taken, securing victory for his team.
Use of knowledge of kicker's history
A goalkeeper may also rely on knowledge of the shooter's past behaviour to inform his decision. An example of this would be by former
Netherlands national team goalkeeper
Hans van Breukelen
Johannes Franciscus "Hans" van Breukelen (; born 4 October 1956) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was the technical director of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) from 2017 until 2018.
Van Breuke ...
, who always had a box with cards with all the information about the opponent's penalty specialist. Ecuadorian goalkeeper
Marcelo Elizaga
Marcelo Ramón Elizaga Ferrero (born April 19, 1972) is an Argentine-born, naturalized Ecuadorian former football goalkeeper. He played for Deportivo Quito in the Ecuador Serie A and the Ecuador national team.
Club career
Elizaga started his ...
saving a penalty from
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Tevez (; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a wing ...
in a
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
qualifier between
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
and
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, revealed that he had studied some penalty kicks from Tevez and suspected he was going to shoot to the goalkeeper's left side. Two other examples occurred during the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
:
#
Portugal national team goalkeeper
Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
in a quarter-final match against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, where he saved three penalties out of four.
# The quarter-final match between Argentina and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
also came down to penalties, and German goalkeeper
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann (; born 10 November 1969) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was a member of Arsenal's " Invincibles", playing every match of their unbeaten title-winning season. He holds the UEFA Ch ...
was seen looking at a piece of paper kept in his sock before each Argentinian player would come forward for a penalty kick. Lehmann had researched the penalty taking habits of seven players on the Argentinian team. However, only two players on his list ended up taking a penalty that day. On the attempts by those two players, Lehmann saved one and came close to saving the other. He then had to guess on
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau (; born 18 August 1980), nicknamed ''"Cuchu"'', is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
During his career, Cambiasso won 21 official titles, the majority of which were won dur ...
's kick since he did not have any information written on his list about Cambiasso. However, he derived an educated guess from the videos he had studied and pretended to read the piece of paper and nodded his head before putting it away, implying to Cambiasso that he did in fact have information on the kicker. Lehmann guessed correctly and saved the penalty, thus winning the shootout for Germany. "Lehmann's list" became so popular in the annals of German football history that it is now in the
Haus der Geschichte
Haus der Geschichte (officially ''Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland'', i.e. "House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany") is a museum of contemporary history in Bonn, Germany. With around one million visitors ever ...
museum.
This approach may not always be successful; the player may intentionally switch from their favoured spot after witnessing the goalkeeper obtaining knowledge of their kicks. Most times, especially in amateur football, the goalkeeper is often forced to guess.
Game theoretic research shows that both the penalty taker and also the goalkeeper must randomize their strategies in precise ways to avoid having the opponent take advantage of their predictability.
Distraction
The goalkeeper also may try to distract the penalty taker, as the expectation is on the penalty taker to succeed, hence more pressure on the penalty taker, making them more vulnerable to mistakes. For example, in the
2008 UEFA Champions League Final between
Manchester United and
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, United goalkeeper
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar (; born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch football executive and former professional player who is currently the chief executive of AFC Ajax, with whom he began his senior playing career in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a m ...
pointed to his left side when
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (; born 14 March 1979) is a French professional football manager and retired player who played as a forward. As a player, he regularly featured in his country's national team, often scoring at crucial moments. Known f ...
stepped up to take a shot in the penalty shoot out. This was because all of Chelsea's penalties went to the left. Anelka's shot instead went to Van der Sar's right, which was saved.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
goalkeeper
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar (born 6 October 1957) is a Zimbabwean former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, most prominently for English team Liverpool between 1981 and 1994, and for the Zimbabwean national team. He is remembered fo ...
used a method of distracting the players called the "spaghetti legs" trick to help his club defeat
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
to win the
1984 European Cup. This tactic was emulated in the
2005 UEFA Champions League Final, which Liverpool also won, by Liverpool goalkeeper
Jerzy Dudek, helping his team defeat
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
An illegal method of saving penalties is for the goalkeeper to make a quick and short jump forward just before the penalty taker connects with the ball. This not only shuts down the angle of the shot, but also distracts the penalty taker. The method was used by
Brazilian goalkeeper
Cláudio Taffarel
Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel (; born 8 May 1966) is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is the goalkeeping coach of English Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team. During an 18-year career he p ...
.
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
was less strict on the rule during that time. In more recent times, FIFA has advised all referees to strictly obey the rule book.
Similarly, a goalkeeper may also attempt to delay a penalty by cleaning their boots, asking the referee to see if the ball is placed properly and other delaying tactics. This method builds more pressure on the penalty taker, but the goalkeeper may risk punishments, most likely a yellow card.
A goalkeeper can also try to distract the taker by talking to them prior to the penalty being taken. Netherlands national team goalkeeper
Tim Krul used this technique during the penalty shootout in the quarter-final match of the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
against
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
. As the Costa Rican players were preparing to take the kick, Krul told them that he "knew where they were going to put their penalty" in order to "get in their heads". This resulted in him saving two penalties and the Netherlands winning the shootout 4–3.
Scoring statistics
Even if the goalkeeper succeeds in blocking the shot, the ball may rebound back to the penalty taker or one of his teammates for another shot, with the goalkeeper often in a poor position to make a second save. This makes saving penalty kicks more difficult. This is not a concern in
penalty shoot-outs, where only a single shot is permitted.
While penalty kicks are considerably more often successful than not, missed penalty kicks are not uncommon: for instance, of the 78 penalty kicks taken during the
2005–06 English Premier League season, 57 resulted in a goal, thus almost 30% of the penalties were unsuccessful.
A German professor who has been studying penalty statistics in the
German Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footbal ...
for 16 years found 76% of all the penalties during those 16 years went in, and 99% of the shots in the higher half of the goal went in, although the higher half of the goal is a more difficult target to aim at. During his career, Italian striker
Roberto Baggio had two occurrences where his shot hit the upper bar, bounced downwards, rebounded off the keeper and passed the goal line for a goal.
Saving statistics
Some goalkeepers have become well known for their ability to save penalty kicks. One such goalkeeper is Brazil's and
Flamengo's Diego Alves
Diego Alves Carreira (born 24 June 1985), known as Diego Alves, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Having begun his career at Atlético Mineiro, he spent most of it in Spain in the service of Almería and Valenci ...
, who boasts a 49 percent save success rate. Other goalkeepers with high save rates include
Claudio Bravo
Claudio Andrés Bravo Muñoz (; born 13 April 1983) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Betis and captains the Chile national team.
He started playing with Colo-Colo and moved to Real Sociedad ...
,
Kevin Trapp
Kevin Christian Trapp (; born 8 July 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the Germany national team.
He began his professional career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he ...
,
Samir Handanović
Samir Handanović (born 14 July 1984) is a Slovenian professional footballer who serves as captain and plays as a goalkeeper for club Inter Milan.
Before moving to Italy, Handanović played in his home country of Slovenia. In 2004, he was acqui ...
,
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded pl ...
,
Tim Krul,
Danijel Subašić
Danijel Subašić (born 27 October 1984) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Hajduk Split.
Subašić began his career in Croatia with Zadar and Hajduk. In January 2012, he joined Monaco, and went on to make 292 ...
, and
Manuel Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer (; born 27 March 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and captains both club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the ...
.
Offences for which the penalty kick is awarded
A penalty kick is awarded whenever one of the following offences is committed by a player within that player's own penalty area while the ball is in play (the ball must be in play at the time of the offence, but it does ''not'' need to be within the penalty area at that time).
* handball (excluding handling offences committed by the goalkeeper)
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 103
* any of the following offences against an opponent, if committed in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
** charges
** jumps at
** kicks or attempts to kick
** pushes
** strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
** tackles or challenges
** trips or attempts to trip
* holding an opponent
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 104
* impeding an opponent with contact
* biting or spitting at someone
* throwing an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or making contact with the ball with a held object (the location of the offence is considered to be the position where the object struck or would have struck the person or the ball, or the nearest boundary line if this is off the field of play).
* any physical offence against a team-mate, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, team official or a match official
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 114
* a player who requires the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player, or team official enters the field of play without the referee's permission, and interferes with play
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 53 (A rare example of this offence occurred in an October 2019 match between
Holstein Kiel
Kieler Sportvereinigung Holstein von 1900 e.V., simply as KSV Holstein or Kieler SV Holstein, commonly known as Holstein Kiel (), is a German association football and sports club based in the city of Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. From the 1900s thro ...
and
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent 35 seas ...
: Kiel substitute
Michael Eberwein
Michael Eberwein (born 11 March 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund II.
Career
In June 2019, it was announced Eberwein would join 2. Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel from 3. Liga club SC Fortun ...
, warming up behind his own team's goal-line, kicked the ball before it had gone out of play. The referee awarded a penalty to Bochum after
VAR
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
review.)
* a player who requires the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official is on the field of play without the referee's permission while that person's team scores a goal (the goal is disallowed; the location of the offence is considered to be the location of the offender at the time the disallowed goal was scored).
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 54
* a player temporarily off the field of play, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official throws or kicks an object onto the field of play, and the object interferes with play, an opponent, or a match official (the location of the offence is considered to be the place where the thrown or kicked object interfered with play, or struck or would have struck the opponent, match official or the ball).
[Laws of the Game 2019/20](_blank)
p. 115
A penalty kick is also awarded if, while the ball is in play, a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official commits any direct free-kick offence against a match official or against an opposing player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player, or team official outside the field of play, provided that the closest boundary line to the location of the offence is within the offending team's own penalty area.
History
Early proposals
The original laws of the game, in 1863, had no defined punishments for infringements of the rules. In 1872, the
indirect free kick
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.
Direct and indirect free kicks
Free kicks may be either direct or indirect, distinguished as follows:
...
was introduced as a punishment for illegal handling of the ball; it was
later extended to other offences. This indirect free-kick was thought to be an inadequate remedy for a handball which prevented an otherwise-certain goal. As a result of this, in 1882 a law was introduced to
award a goal to a team prevented from scoring by an opponent's handball. This law lasted only one season before being abolished in 1883.
Introduction of the penalty-kick
![Association Football Pitch 1898](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Association_Football_Pitch_1898.png)
The invention of the penalty kick is credited to the goalkeeper and businessman
William McCrum
William McCrum (7 February 1865 – 21 December 1932) was a wealthy Irish linen manufacturer and sportsman, most famous for being the inventor in 1890 of the penalty kick in football.
Life and family
Born on 7 February 1865 in Ballynahone Beg t ...
in 1890 in
Milford, County Armagh
Milford or Millford is a small village about one mile southwest of Armagh in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the Armagh City and District Council area. It had a population of 569 people (215 households) in the 2011 Census. (2001 Cen ...
. The
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became the Northern Ireland national football team.
...
presented the idea to the
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football. IFAB was founded in 1886 to agree standardised Laws for international competition, and has since acted as the "guardia ...
's 1890 meeting, where it was deferred until the next meeting in 1891.
Two incidents in the 1890–1 season lent additional force to the argument for the penalty kick. On 20 December 1890, in the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,[East Stirlingshire
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins ca ...](_blank)
and
Heart of Midlothian Jimmy Adams fisted the ball out from under the bar, and on 14 February 1891, there was a blatant goal-line handball by a
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
player in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
quarter-final against
Stoke City
Finally after much debate, the International Football Association Board approved the idea on 2 June 1891. The penalty-kick law ran:
Some notable differences between this original 1891 law and today's penalty-kick are listed below:
* It was awarded for an offence committed within of the goal-line (the
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
was not introduced until 1902).
* It could be taken from any point along a line from the goal-line (the
penalty spot
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
was likewise not introduced until 1902).
* It was awarded only after an appeal.
* There was no restriction on
dribbling
In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score.
A ...
.
* The ball could be kicked in any direction.
* The goal-keeper was allowed to advance up to from the goal-line.
The world's first penalty kick was awarded to
Airdrieonians in 1891 at
Broomfield Park
Broomfield Park was a association football, football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, home of Airdrieonians F.C. (1878), Airdrieonians from 1892 until it was closed after the 1993–94 in Scottish football, 1993–94 football season.
Aird ...
, and the first penalty kick in the
Football League was awarded to
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
in their match against
Accrington at
Molineux Stadium on 14 September 1891. The penalty was taken and scored by
Billy Heath
Joseph Frederick, better known as Billy Heath (1869 – after 1895), was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Woolwich Arsenal. He is best known for having scored the first-ever penalty kick
...
as Wolves went on to win the game 5–0.
Subsequent developments
![Plan of the field of play for association football (1902)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Plan_of_the_field_of_play_for_association_football_%281902%29.png)
In 1892, the player taking the penalty-kick was forbidden to kick the ball again before the ball had touched another player. A provision was also added that "
necessary, time of play shall be extended to admit of the penalty kick being taken".
In 1896, the ball was required to be kicked forward, and the requirement for an appeal was removed.
In 1902, the
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
was introduced with its current dimensions (a rectangle extending from the goal-posts). The
penalty spot
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
Wit ...
was also introduced, from the goal. All other players were required to be outside the penalty area.
In 1905, the goal-keeper was required to remain on the goal-line.
In 1923, all other players were required to be at least from the penalty-spot (in addition to being outside the penalty-area). This change was made in order to stop defenders from lining up on the edge of the penalty area to impede the player taking the kick.
![Disposition of Players at Penalty Kick (1923)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Disposition_of_Players_at_Penalty_Kick_%281923%29.png)
In 1930, a footnote was appended to the laws, stating that "the goal-keeper must not move his feet until the penalty kick has been taken".
In 1937, an arc (colloquially known as the "D") was added to the pitch markings, to assist in the enforcement of the restriction.
The goal-keeper was required to stand between the goal-posts.
In 1939, it was specified that the ball must travel the distance of its circumference before being in play. In 1997, this requirement was eliminated: the ball became in play as soon as it was kicked and moved forward. In 2016, it was specified that the ball must "clearly" move.
In 1995, all other players were required to remain behind the penalty spot. The
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...
claimed that this new provision would "eliminate various problems which have arisen regarding the position of players who stand in front of the penalty-mark at the taking of a penalty-kick as is presently permitted".
In 1997, the goal-keeper was once again allowed to move the feet, and was also required to face the kicker.
The question of "feinting" during the run-up to a penalty was popularized by
Pelé in the 1970s and it was called ''paradinha'', which in Portuguese means "little stop. It has occupied the International FA Board since 1982, when it was decided that "if a player stops in his run-up it is an offence for which he shall be cautioned (for ungentlemanly conduct) by the referee". However, in 1985 the same body reversed itself, deciding that the "assumption that feigning was an offence" was "wrong", and that it was up to the Referee to decide whether any instance should be penalized as ungentlemanly conduct. From 2000 to 2006, documents produced by IFAB specified that
feint
Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...
ing during the run-up to a penalty-kick was permitted. In 2007, this guidance emphasized that "if in the opinion of the referee the feinting is considered an act of unsporting behaviour, the player shall be cautioned". In 2010, because of concern over "an increasing trend in players feinting a penalty kick to deceive the goalkeeper", a proposal was adopted to specify that while "feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of football", "feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned".
Summary
Offences for which a penalty kick was awarded
Since its introduction in 1891, a penalty kick has been awarded for two broad categories of offences:
* handball
* serious offences involving physical contact
The number of offences eligible for punishment by a penalty-kick, small when initially introduced in 1891, expanded rapidly thereafter. This led to some confusion: for example, in September 1891, a referee awarded a penalty kick against a goalkeeper who "
osthis temper and
ickedan opponent", even though under the 1891 laws this offence was punishable only by an indirect free-kick.
The table below shows the punishments specified by the laws for offences involving handling the ball or physical contact, between 1890 and 1903:
Since 1903, the offences for which a penalty kick is awarded within the defending team's penalty area have been identical to
those for which a direct free kick is awarded ''outside'' the defending team's penalty area. These consisted of handball (excluding technical handling offences by the goalkeeper), and foul play, with the following exceptions (which were punished instead by an indirect free kick in the penalty area):
* Dangerous play (since 1903)
* Obstructing / impeding the progress of an opponent (1951–2016) and impeding an opponent without contact (from 2016)
* Charging when not attempting to play the ball (1948-1997)
[In 1997, this was abolished as a separate offence; all forms of charging an opponent "in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless, or involving excessive force" became punishable by a direct free-kick]
See also
*
Penalty shoot-out (association football)
A penalty shoot-out (officially kicks from the penalty mark) is a tie-breaking method in association football to determine which team is awarded victory in a match that cannot end in a draw, when the score is tied after the normal time as well ...
References
External links
History of Laws of the Game – From 1863 to the Present DayPenalty Kick Games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penalty Kick
Laws of association football
Kick (association football)
Association football skills
Association football terminology
Articles containing video clips
Sports penalties