What Is A Penalty Kick?
Penalty kicks are free kicks that occur when a soccer player commits a foul in their penalty box. Soccer penalty kicks are a high-stress part of a match and can easily swing momentum in favor of a team if they score or properly defend the penalty kick.
How A Penalty Kick Is Awarded
- The ball must be in play for a penalty to be awarded.
- Penalty kicks happen from pushing, biting, throwing an object, jumping, charging, headbutting or aggressive force.
- A penalty kick can also be awarded when a player has a handball.
Penalty Kick Rules
Once a team gains a penalty kick the real fun begins. The fouled team gets a chance to take a shot from inside the penalty box. Before the penalty kick happens, the ball is placed on the penalty line, which is 11 meters away from the goal line. Only the kicker and goalkeeper are allowed inside the box during the kick. All other players must stay beyond the penalty area and wait until the shooter kicks the ball. Below are more rules to remember when a penalty kick is in play.
- The shooter can only kick the ball forward.
- The goalkeeper must stay between the two goal posts without touching the goal net, crossbar or goalposts before the ball is kicked.
- The kicker must have at least one foot on or behind the goal line.
- Once kicked, the player taking the penalty cannot touch the ball again until another player touches it.
Soccer Penalty Kicks
Penalty kicks occur when a foul is committed or in tournaments to break a tie. Penalty kicks are usually exciting for fans on both sides of the pitch. Because a player is likely to score on a penalty kick, stakes can be extremely high when they happen during a game. If you’re trying to get better at penalty kicks, learn how to bend a soccer ball with adidas. Every shot counts, so let’s level yours up!