In soccer, a penalty kick is a free kick which is taken from 12 yards away from a goal. During a penalty kick, the goalie is the only person from the defending team that is allowed to stand between the penalty taker and the goal line. The goalie is allowed to do anything that they see fit is a lot of rules to keep the ball from crossing the goal line. Penalty kicks are taken out during normal for a soccer game. This is similar to a penalty shootout, which may determine who progresses in a tournament or a tie. They are not the same thing, however and are dictated by different rules.

A penalty kick is given when the defending player commits some type of how in which a direct free kick results. Free kicks are given within their own penalty area, and from the area in which the foul occurred, not where the ball was positioned when the foul occurred.