The penalty kick rules were invented by the association of football(soccer) and is a type of free kick taken from twelve yards (11 meters) out from your opponents goal with only the goalkeeper and you (the penalty taker).

If your opponent commits a foul on you punishable with a free kick within their own penalty area (also known as the box or the 18 yard box) or a handball your team will be awarded with a penalty kick.

My First Game

I remember my first soccer match. My coach told me that I will play left back and said even “Whatever you do, don’t commit a foul inside the 18 yard box.”

Yea sure, no problem was my answer on that advice.” After 2 minutes the opponent team was awarded a penalty, guess who was the guilty one?

Well, I didn’t understand really what 18 yards box was, so I thought if I commit a foul on an opponent player inside my 18 yards box my team would be awarded a penalty instead.

Hehehe, I know, pretty stupid, but hey it was my first game and these soccer rules was just confusing me. Anyway, let’s continue our discussion…

Keep in mind that it is the location of the offense that defines whether a foul is punishable by a penalty kick and not the position of the ball.

The referee will use the whistle and blow on it while pointing at the penalty mark inside the 18 yard box.

Penalty Mark

Penalty mark is the little white ring which can be spotted 12 yards from the goal.

Remember that you as penalty kicker must give a clearly signal to the referee that you are the penalty kicker.

Your opponents and your team mates must be outside the penalty area. They must stand behind the penalty mark.

And they must also be at least 10 yards from the ball (beside you, goalkeeper and the ball of course he he) until you kick the ball.

Your opponent’s goalkeeper must remain between the goalposts on the goal line and not move forward until you kick the ball.

Goalie Movements

However the goalkeeper may move from side to side along the goal line which can be an attempt to make you nervous and unsure.

When the referee blows the whistle, it’s a signal for you to take the penalty kick.

You are allowed to pass the ball to a teammate as long as the pass is forward from the penalty spot and the teammate is in a legal position at the time of the pass (onside and outside the penalty area).

When you kick the ball it’s officially in play and all other players may enter the penalty area and the game continues as normal.

Summary

You can see the penalty kick as a form of direct free kick which means that a goal may be scored directly from it. If no goal is scored the game continues on as usual.