As someone who started playing the beautiful game of soccer at a young age, mastering the art of taking penalties became a priority for me.
I derive joy from taking penalties a lot, and my conversion rate is quite high, which has led to success during my active playing days.
While many tend to run away from it or shy away from it, it is always a joy to play a penalty kick for me. A penalty in soccer is another way of scoring in a game, and it is probably the one with the highest probability of scoring during a game.
Discover penalty kicks in soccer, what they mean, penalty shootouts, the difference between a penalty kick and a free kick, and more.
What is a Penalty in Soccer?
Penalty kicks date back to 1890 when a goalkeeper for the Milford Football Club suggested the idea to the Irish Football Association.
Before that, FIFA had tried other penalties with negative reviews, such as an indirect free kick or an automatic goal. FIFA eventually adopted penalty kicks in 1891.
As the name suggests, a penalty is a handicap imposed on a player or team for infringement of rules – a meaning from the dictionary.
This also aligns with the definition given by IFAB – International Football Association Board – who are saddled with the responsibility of moderating the game’s (soccer) laws.
According to IFAB in its laws for the 2023/24 season, a penalty kick is awarded if a player commits a direct free kick offense inside their penalty area or off the field as part of play as outlined in Laws 12 and 13. A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.
Fouls that can lead to a penalty include illegal contact, such as tripping an opponent or charging them, or a handball foul. The most important thing is that the foul must happen in the 18-yard box, and that will prompt the referee to signal a penalty kick.
The IFAB law also states that a penalty can be taken during the game. In addition to the penalty kick, a foul could result in a red or yellow card, depending on its severity.
The ball has to be placed on the penalty mark, and the goalposts, crossbar, and goal net must all be in a stationary position. The player who has been chosen to play the penalty kick must be identified.
In addition, the defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts until the ball is kicked.
How Does a Soccer Penalty Shootout Work?
A penalty shootout is needed when two teams cannot be separated at the end of regulation time in the knockout stage of a tournament, such as the FIFA World Cup. Following a brief rest, the two teams return to the pitch for the shootout.
Just like the start of any soccer match, the referee flips a coin to decide which goalpost will be used for the penalty shootout. Then, there is a second coin flip to determine which team will kick first or be in goal first.
Following the conclusion of the pre-shootout modalities, each team takes turns taking five penalty kick shots that have to be kicked by different players.
These are direct free kicks between the kicker and goalie alone, taken from the penalty mark in a best-of-five kicks scenario.
In other words, the penalty shootout ends as soon as one team has an unassailable lead. If there is no clear winner after five rounds of penalty kicks, the penalty shootout goes into sudden death. In this scenario, the first team to score unanswered wins.
Whether it’s a penalty kick during a game or a shootout post match, the kicker stands at the same penalty mark.
But in a shootout, the other players who finished the game in regulation time take a different position, to account for both team’s alternating kicks.
Apart from the kicker, all other players, except the goalkeepers of both teams, will be in the center circle of the soccer field, as opposed to outside of the penalty arc. Then, there is the positioning of the two goalkeepers during the shootout.
The active goalkeeper stays in between the goalposts on the goal line until the opposing team is done kicking. Meanwhile, the other team’s goalkeeper waits just outside the penalty area on one side.
How Many Penalties Do Soccer Players Get?
The number of penalties in a game is unlimited. However, penalties do not just happen without a foul being committed in the penalty box.
With that knowledge in the back of the players’ minds, playing multiple penalties during a game is not quite regular.
Meanwhile, during the penalty shootout, a player is expected to kick once in the first round of penalty kicks.
Unless a winner cannot be determined after all the players, including the goalkeepers, have played, the players might be asked to take turns again. However, it is still not a regular occurrence in penalty shootouts.
How to Get a Penalty in Soccer?
We have already described a penalty and the difference between a penalty during the game and a penalty shootout. How about we talk through the process of getting a penalty in a game?
When a foul is committed inside the penalty box, a penalty will be given or awarded. Some players are skilled at attracting fouls from the opposition while in the box, helping their team win penalties as well.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish is well-known for this as an example. However, this could be tricky as the wrong deception of a foul in the box could be penalized, as well as a ‘dive.’
A foul might be committed inside the area and not be given by the referee, but with the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), penalties can be provided upon review or minutes after the action has taken place.
What’s the difference between a penalty and a free kick?
A penalty kick is a distinct type of direct free kick.
When a penalty kick is awarded for a foul on a player in the penalty box, the penalty kick is taken from the penalty spot, which is also inside the penalty box.
In contrast, a free kick is awarded when an opponent fouls outside the penalty box. Additionally, there is a player wall for free kicks, but only the goalkeeper and penalty taker are present during penalties.
Another important point to remember is that the area where the offense has been committed will determine whether it is a free-kick or penalty kick.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the penalty in soccer stands as both a moment of tension and opportunity, where the fate of a match can be decided.
Mastering the art of penalties could be a crucial skill that comes in handy for a team with such a player in its ranks.
