Law 14 – The Penalty Kick

A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits a direct-free-kick offence inside their penalty area or off the pitch as part of play as outlined in Law 12.

A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.

1. Procedure

The ball must be stationary with part of the ball touching or overhanging the centre of the penalty mark, and the goalposts, crossbar and goal net must not be moving.

The player taking the penalty kick must be clearly identified.

The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts, until the ball has been kicked. The goalkeeper must not behave in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker, e.g. delay the taking of the kick or touch the goalposts, crossbar or goal net.

The players other than the kicker and goalkeeper must be:

• on the pitch;
• at least 5m from the penalty mark;
• behind the penalty mark;
• outside the penalty area.

After the players have taken positions in accordance with this Law, one of the referees signals for the penalty kick to be taken.

The player taking the penalty kick must kick the ball forwards; back-heeling is permitted provided the ball moves forwards.

When the ball is kicked, the defending goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot touching, in line with or behind the goal line.

The ball is in play when it is kicked forwards and clearly moves.

The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.

If a penalty kick is awarded when a period is about to end, the period will be considered to have ended once the penalty kick has been completed. The kick is considered completed when, after the ball is in play, any of the following occurs:

• the ball stops moving or goes out of play;
• the ball is played by any player (including the kicker) other than the defending goalkeeper;
• the referees stop play for an offence by the kicker or a team-mate of the kicker.

2. Offences and sanctions

Once the referees have signalled for a penalty kick to be taken, the kick must be taken. If it is not taken, one of the referees may take disciplinary action before signalling again for the kick to be taken.

Encroachment by players (except the defending-team goalkeeper)

• A team-mate of the player taking the penalty kick is penalised for encroachment only if:
  • the encroachment clearly impacted on the goalkeeper; or
  • the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and then scores, attempts to score or creates a goalscoring opportunity.
• A team-mate of the goalkeeper is penalised for encroachment only if:
  • the encroachment clearly impacted on the kicker; or
  • the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and this prevents the opponents from scoring, attempting to score or creating a goalscoring opportunity.

If a team-mate of the goalkeeper is penalised for encroachment, they are warned for the first offence in the game and cautioned for any subsequent offence(s) in the game.

If, before the ball is in play, one of the following occurs:

• the player taking the penalty kick or a team-mate commits an offence:
  • if the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken;
  • if the ball does not enter the goal, the referees stop play and restart with an indirect free kick to the opposing team;

except for the following situations, when play will be stopped and restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team, regardless of whether or not a goal is scored:

• a penalty kick is kicked backwards;

• a team-mate of the identified kicker takes the kick: the referees caution the

player who took the kick;

• the kicker feints to kick the ball after having completed the run-up (feinting in

the run-up is permitted): the referees caution the kicker.

• the defending goalkeeper commits an offence:
  • if the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded;
  • if the ball misses the goal or rebounds from the crossbar or goalpost(s), the kick is only retaken if the goalkeeper’s offence clearly impacted on the kicker;
  • if the ball is prevented from entering the goal by the goalkeeper, the kick is retaken.

If the goalkeeper’s offence results in the kick being retaken, the goalkeeper is warned for the first offence in the game and cautioned for any subsequent offence(s) in the game.

• a team-mate of the defending goalkeeper commits an offence:
  • if the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded;
  • if the ball does not enter the goal, the kick is retaken; the offender is warned for the first offence in the game. If the same player commits any subsequent offence(s) in the game, they are cautioned.
• a player of both teams commits an offence, the kick is retaken unless a player commits a more serious offence (e.g. illegal feinting); the offenders are warned for the first offence in the game. If the same players commit any subsequent offence(s) in the game, they are cautioned. If a player commits a more serious offence, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opponents and the offender is cautioned without warning.
• both the defending goalkeeper and the kicker commit an offence at the same time, the kicker is cautioned and play restarts with an indirect free kick to the defending team.

An opponent who obstructs the kicker from moving towards the ball when a penalty kick is going to be taken must be cautioned, even if the offender was respecting the 5m minimum distance.

If, after the penalty kick has been taken:

• the kicker touches the ball again before it has touched another player:
  • an indirect free kick (or a direct free kick for a handball offence) is awarded to the opposing team.
• the ball is touched by an outside agent as it moves forwards:
  • the kick is retaken unless the ball is going into the goal and the interference does not prevent the defending goalkeeper or a defending-team player from playing the ball, in which case the goal is awarded if the ball enters the goal (even if contact was made with the ball) unless the interference was by the attacking team.
• the ball rebounds into the pitch from the goalkeeper, the crossbar or the goalposts and is then touched by an outside agent:
  • the referees stop play;
  • play is restarted with a dropped ball at the position where the ball touched the outside agent.

3. Summary table

Outcome of the penalty kick

Outcome of the penalty kick

Offence	Ball enters goal	Ball does not enter goal
Encroachment by attacking-team player	Impact: Penalty is retaken	Impact: Indirect free kick to defending team
	No impact: Goal	No impact: No retake
Encroachment by defending-team player	Goal	Impact: Penalty is retaken and warning for defending-team player; caution for any further offence(s)
		No impact: No retake
Encroachment by defending- and attacking-team player	Impact: Penalty is retaken and warning for offending players; caution for any further offence(s)	Impact: Penalty is retaken and warning for offending players; caution for any further offence(s)
	No impact: Goal	No impact: No retake
Offence by goalkeeper	Goal	Not saved: Penalty is not retaken (unless kicker is clearly impacted)
		Saved: Penalty is retaken and warning for goalkeeper; caution for any further offence(s)
Goalkeeper and kicker commit offence at same time	Indirect free kick to defending team and caution for kicker without warning
Ball kicked backwards	Indirect free kick to defending team
Illegal feinting	Indirect free kick to defending team and caution for kicker without warning
Wrong kicker (not identified)	Indirect free kick to defending team and caution for wrong kicker without warning