The penalty kick in soccer can be a game winning or losing decision for your team. It occurs when a player commits an infringement on the rules of the game inside the goalkeeping area, also called the 18-yard box. When a penalty is awarded, the referee immediately points to the spot. The penalty spot is exactly 11 m from the goal line. At this point it is one-on-one situation between the player taking the penalty kick and the goalkeeper.
Handball
A common reason for the awarding of a penalty is a handball. This is when one of the defending players touches the ball with either their hand or his arm all the way up to the shoulder. The referee must perceive that the player actively moved his arm or hand towards the ball; if the ball is simply struck against the player's arms and she could do nothing to avoid it, then it is not a penalty.
Foul
The foul by a defender in their own penalty box against an attacker is probably the most common reason that a penalty is awarded. If the defender obstructs, trips, pushes, tugs at their shirt, hits or kicks the attacker in any way, then it is a penalty. It can also be awarded for a "high boot," in which the defender is perceived to have raised their boot to head-height --- a dangerous play.
Red or Yellow
When awarding a penalty, the referee has to make a factual decision as whether to give a red or yellow card and, as Reuters' website reports, these decisions are irreversible. A yellow card is a warning, whereas a red card is expulsion from the game. Red cards tend to be given if the tackle is particularly dangerous to a player's safety. However, they can also be given if the player is the last defender, therefore clearly stopping a goal-scoring opportunity.
Goal-line Referees
So much is at stake in soccer games these days that the Union of European Football Associations has added two new officials, called "goal-line referees," to help the main referee make decisions. As "The Guardian" website notes, these were first introduced into the Europa League tournament in 2009. These officials can help with the key decisions that result in penalties being awarded or denied and, potentially, affect the final result of the game.
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