by Cosmicwhodini

Created on: September 04, 2008   Last Updated: May 01, 2011

Penalties in soccer are taken when a game needs a winner and when a foul is committed inside the box.

In the first instance when the game needs a winner 5 penalties will decide the outcome of the game. Before penalties are taken 5 shooters are chosen, more are chosen later if more penalties are needed. This is after normal time is played, and extra time of 15 minutes each way. If after the main penalties there is still no winner, the winner is decided by a sudden death penalty. The shooter must stand about 12 yards away from the goal, and the goalkeeper is not allowed off his line until the ball has been played. The spot from where the penalty must be clearly marked, and the penalty can only be taken once the referee has blown his whistle.

The goalkeeper may move anywhere behind the line to put the penalty taker off, but may not move forward. The penalty taker must strike the ball towards goal and obviously try and get it past the keeper. There was an instance where goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelar pretended his legs were wobbly and he wobbled and bent his legs all over the place to put the striker off. It worked the striker missed. This was copied by Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina in the final of the European Cup, again it worked and they won! They were 3-0 down at half time but came back to make it 3-3; probably one of the most enthralling European world cup games of all time.

If a penalty is taken after extra time the goal must be scored by the penalty taker only. For instance if the goalkeeper saves the ball and it rebounds to another player of the same team, he may not try and kick it into the net. Once the goalkeeper has saved he ball that is deemed as a miss, or if the ball hits the goalposts and rebounds back into "play", again no-one (not even the player who took the penalty) may try again to get it into the net.

This is different for a penalty taken during play. All player must start off by being behind the penalty taker, but once he has taken the penalty they can run forward and if the penalty has rebounded off either the goalkeeper or the posts, any player may try and get it into the net.

Penalties after a match are never in play in league games, they are also not needed when group matches are played to win a place to play in The World Cup or The Euro Cup etc. Normally the top 2 go through to the next stage e.g. quarter finals, it is then that penalties are used as a winner is needed to move into say the semi finals.

Penalties are given during the game too. If it is deemed that the defender has tripped up the attacker without touching the ball a penalty can be given. A penalty is also given if the defender handles the ball with his arm or hand on purpose. Both instances only when the ball is inside the penalty box. If a player handles the ball outside the box, normally a yellow card will be given, but no penalty.

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