A penalty kick is a single kick taken during the match, usually awarded when a player commits a direct free-kick offence inside their own penalty area; a penalty shoot-out is an alternating sequence taken after the match has ended when the competition rules require a winner.
Why are the two terms confused?
Football coverage often uses “penalty”, “spot kick”, “penalty kick” and “penalty shoot-out” as if they meant the same thing. They do not. The key differences are when the kicks happen and what they are for: a penalty kick is an in-match restart after a qualifying offence, while a penalty shoot-out is a post-match procedure for deciding which team advances or wins when the competition rules require a winner.
The phrase “the team won on penalties” can therefore hide two separate facts. A single penalty kick may change the score while the match is being played. A shoot-out is taken after the match has ended and determines the winner separately from the score recorded during play.
What is a penalty kick?
Under IFAB Law 14, a penalty kick is awarded when a player commits a direct free-kick offence inside their own penalty area. Law 14 also covers an offence committed off the field of play when it is part of the action, as set out in Laws 12 and 13. The familiar example is a defending player committing a direct-free-kick offence in their own penalty area, but the rule should not be reduced to “any contact in the box is a penalty”.
Examples that may lead to a penalty kick include pushing, holding, kicking or attempting to kick an opponent, and certain handball offences dealt with under Law 12. The referee must assess the act, its location and the applicable offence. A collision or a fall inside the penalty area is not automatically enough.
The basic procedure
- The ball is stationary, with part of it touching or overhanging the centre of the penalty mark. The goalposts, crossbar and net must not be moving.
- The kicker must be clearly identified. All other players, apart from the kicker and the defending goalkeeper, must be on the field, outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark and at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) from it.
- The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker and between the posts until the ball is kicked. At the moment of the kick, at least part of one foot must be touching, in line with or behind the goal line.
- The kicker must kick the ball forward. The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. The kicker may not touch it again until it has touched another player.
- A goal may be scored directly from the kick. Law 14 also allows the kick to be taken and completed when additional time is permitted at the end of a half or a period of extra time.
When can a penalty kick be retaken?
The outcome of an infringement depends on who committed it, what happened to the kick and whether the offence had an impact. For example, Law 14 provides for a retake in applicable cases when a defending player’s offence affects a missed or saved kick. A goalkeeper’s offence has additional conditions, including whether it clearly affected the kicker in situations where the kick misses or rebounds. A report should therefore describe the actual decision rather than saying that every defensive infringement automatically means “retake”.
What is a penalty shoot-out?
A penalty shoot-out, also called “penalties” in the IFAB wording, starts after the match has ended. Under Law 10, when competition rules require a winner after a drawn match or a drawn home-and-away tie, the permitted procedures may include two equal periods of extra time of no more than 15 minutes each, a penalty shoot-out, or a combination allowed by the regulations. A draw does not automatically mean a shoot-out: the competition rules decide whether extra time comes first or whether a shoot-out is used.
Before the shoot-out begins, the referee normally uses a coin toss to select the goal and a second coin toss to let one team choose whether to kick first or second. Only players who are eligible at the end of the match may take part, with the specific exception provided for a goalkeeper who cannot continue. A player sent off during the match cannot take a kick.
How the shoot-out is organised
- The teams take kicks alternately, with five kicks for each team subject to the conditions in the Laws.
- A different player takes each kick. Every eligible player must take one before any player can take a second.
- The shoot-out ends early if, before both teams have completed five kicks, one team has scored more goals than the other could score even by completing its remaining kicks. Five kicks each is the opening arrangement, not a promise that all five will be taken.
- If the scores are level after five kicks each, the teams continue one kick each. The comparison must be made after the same number of kicks; the team ahead at that point wins. This is often called “sudden death”, but the next goal is not automatically decisive if the other team still has a kick in the same round.
- After the first cycle, a team may change its kicking order. The referee is not told the order in advance.
These kicks are not extra minutes of the match. They take place after the final whistle, so the match score and the shoot-out result should be reported separately, for example: 1–1 after the match; Team A won the shoot-out 4–3. The exact presentation can follow the competition’s convention, but shoot-out kicks should not be described as goals scored during normal or extra-time play.
Quick comparison
| Point of comparison | Penalty kick | Penalty shoot-out |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens | During the match, including any time that Law 14 allows for the kick to be completed. | After the match has ended. |
| Why it happens | A direct-free-kick offence occurs inside the defending team’s penalty area, subject to the cases covered by Law 14. | The competition rules require a winner after a draw or a drawn tie. |
| Purpose | Restart play and give the entitled team a direct chance to score. | Determine the winning team without adding another period of ordinary play. |
| Number of kicks | Usually one kick by the identified kicker. | Alternating kicks, with an opening phase of five for each team subject to early stoppage, followed by one-for-one rounds if still level. |
| Participants | The identified kicker and the defending goalkeeper, with everyone else positioned as Law 14 requires. | Eligible players at the end of the match; sent-off players are excluded and goalkeeper replacement has specific conditions. |
| Scoring | A valid goal counts in the match score. | The shoot-out result determines the winner after the match; it is reported separately from the match score. |
| Main rule source | IFAB Law 14, together with the Laws on direct-free-kick offences. | IFAB Law 10.3 and the competition regulations. |
How to read penalty terminology
- “Penalty kick” means one kick awarded during the match.
- “Penalty shoot-out” or “shoot-out” means the complete post-match sequence.
- “Penalty” on its own can mean either. The phrases “during the match” and “after the match” help distinguish a single kick from a shoot-out.
- “Spot kick” usually means a penalty kick, though it may also refer to a kick in a shoot-out. The timing and context make the distinction clear.
- In Team A 1–1 Team B (Team A won 4–3 on penalties), 1–1 is the match score and 4–3 is the shoot-out result. They are not added together.
Original situations for explanation
The following are fictional examples written for this page, not reports of real matches.
One penalty kick during the match
In the 28th minute, a Team B defender holds a Team A forward inside Team B’s penalty area while the ball is in play. The referee judges it to be a direct-free-kick offence and awards Team A a penalty kick. The identified kicker scores, so the goal changes the match score. This is a penalty kick, not a shoot-out.
An early shoot-out finish
A knockout match is level 1–1 after the playing time and the extra time required by the competition rules. In the shoot-out, Team A leads 3–0 after three kicks each. Team B has only two possible kicks left in the opening five-kick phase, so it cannot draw level. The shoot-out ends immediately; the teams do not need to use all five kicks.
Level after five kicks
Both teams have scored four times after five kicks each. They continue one-for-one. Team A scores its sixth kick and Team B misses its sixth. Because both teams have taken the same number of kicks and Team A is ahead, Team A wins the shoot-out 5–4. The match score before the shoot-out remains a separate part of the result.
Frequently asked questions
Does every drawn match go to a penalty shoot-out?
No. A shoot-out is used only when the competition rules require a winner. The regulations may require extra time first, use a shoot-out directly, or set out a permitted combination.
Does each team always take five kicks in a shoot-out?
No. Five kicks each is the opening phase, but the shoot-out can end early when the other team can no longer draw level. If the scores are level after five kicks each, the teams continue one-for-one until one team leads after the same number of kicks.
Do shoot-out goals count in the match score?
The shoot-out begins after the match has ended and is used to determine the winner. Coverage should therefore keep the match score and the shoot-out result separate, using the competition’s normal result format.
Who can take part in a penalty shoot-out?
In principle, the kickers are players who were eligible and on the field, or temporarily off the field, when the match ended. A player sent off during the match cannot take part. A goalkeeper who cannot continue is covered by a specific replacement procedure.
Can a goalkeeper leave the goal line for a penalty kick?
At the moment the kick is taken, at least part of one foot must be touching, in line with or behind the goal line. The goalkeeper may move the body and arms provided the behaviour is not judged to unfairly distract the kicker. The consequence of an infringement depends on the kick and the conditions in Law 14; not every movement means that the kick must be retaken.
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