Pênaltis

Pênaltis in football refers to two related concepts: the penalty kick awarded for a foul committed inside the opponent’s penalty area, and the penalty shoot-out used to decide matches that remain unresolved after regulation time and extra time. The term is commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese and other Portuguese-speaking contexts.

A penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark, 11 meters (12 yards) from the goal line. The ball is stationary on the mark and the kicking player attempts to score, while the goalkeeper must stay on the goal line between the posts until the ball is kicked. All other players must remain outside the penalty area and outside the arc at the top of the area until the kick is completed. The ball is in play as soon as it is kicked and moves, and it may rebound off the posts or goalkeeper and stay in play. A kick may be retaken if players encroach, if the goalkeeper commits an infringement, or if other fouls occur that affect the execution or outcome of the kick.

Penalty shoot-outs are used in knockout-stage matches to determine a winner when the score is tied after regulation and usually after extra time. Each team selects five players to take alternating kicks from the penalty mark. If one team leads after both have taken five kicks, that team wins. If still tied, the process continues in rounds of one kick per team until a winner emerges (sudden death). The procedure governs order, substitutions, and encroachment, and is designed to balance skill, nerve, and chance.

In practice, pênaltis test precision, composure, and strategic planning by players and teams, including goalkeepers studying potential shooters and opponents’ tendencies.