Straffsparksläggning

Straffsparksläggning refers to the process of taking a penalty kick in football (soccer). It is a one-on-one situation between the attacking player and the defending team's goalkeeper, with the ball placed on the penalty mark, 11 meters (12 yards) from the goal line. The player taking the penalty kick must be clearly identified.

When a penalty is awarded, all other players must remain outside the penalty area, the penalty arc, and behind the penalty mark. The goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts, until the ball is kicked. The kicker can feint, but not after completing their run-up. The ball is in play once it is kicked and moves forward.

A penalty kick is typically taken during regular play when a foul punishable by a direct free kick is committed by a defending player within their own penalty area. Penalty shoot-outs are used to decide the winner of a match that has ended in a draw in knockout competitions. In a shoot-out, teams take turns to shoot from the penalty mark, with each team typically taking five kicks. If the scores are still level after five kicks each, the shoot-out continues on a sudden-death basis until one team has scored more goals than the other after an equal number of kicks.