Soccer Penalties, Explained By Professional Referees

If you’ve watched a soccer game before, you’ve likely seen a referee hold up a yellow card or red card. And you probably have a general idea of what those cards mean — they indicate a rule has been broken, and either cautions a player (a yellow card) or ejects them from the game (a red card). But soccer is a fast-paced sport with many unique rules and terms, like the ever-confusing offside rule, so you may not know exactly how yellow cards and red cards work, including what soccer penalties can result in them being called and how they affect gameplay.

To help you decipher all the nuances of soccer penalties and penalty cards, we consulted with a professional soccer referee, the US Soccer Referee Department, and the Laws of the Game from the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Our experts filled us in on the meaning of yellow cards and red cards, plus the different types of soccer penalties you might see on the field, and everything you need to know about penalty kicks as well.

Experts Featured in This Article

Sandro Ricci is the manager of senior referees for the Professional Referee Organization, where he now oversees the development of the best referees in Major League Soccer. He is a former FIFA referee from Brazil who officiated at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018 and the 2016 Olympic Games, and a leading global instructor.

A spokesperson for the US Soccer Referee Department.

What Does a Yellow Card Mean in Soccer?

A yellow card serves as a caution or ‘warning’ card for unsporting behavior or minor infractions. According to Sandro Ricci, manager of senior referees for the Professional Referee Organization, and a spokesperson for the US Soccer Referee Department, the most common yellow card offenses are:

Not every infraction that gets a player yellow carded will result in a penalty kick for the opposing team, but some do. (More on penalty kicks below.)

What Does a Red Card Mean in Soccer?

A red card signifies a serious foul or misconduct, leading to a dismissal or immediate ejection of the player from the game. What’s more, that player can’t be replaced by a sub for the remainder of the game; the team must continue with one fewer player, which can significantly impact the match.

Common red card offenses are:

Red cards can lead to a player becoming banned for future games. Different leagues and cups have their own rules. In the English Premier League, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, getting a red card as a result of two yellows or due to denying a goal-scoring opportunity will result in a one-match suspension; violence or serious foul play will result in a three-match suspension; and spitting may result in a six-match ban, The Athletic reports. In the FIFA World Cup, players who get a red card are prohibited from starting in the subsequent match, per ESPN. In US professional soccer, the governing soccer body would ultimately decide whether additional game bans are warranted after an official review of the incident.

The Rules of Soccer Penalty Kicks

Yellow or red cards aren’t the only disciplinary actions that take place during soccer games. Soccer penalties can also result in penalty kicks. In order for a team to be awarded a penalty kick, a player on the opposing team just commit a certain type of offense within their “penalty area” while the ball is in play, per the US Soccer Referee Department. The penalty area is a specific section of the field: a rectangle that stretches 18 yards from either side of the goal and 18 yards in front of it, according to IFAB’s Laws of the Game.

According to the experts PS consulted, common penalty kick offenses are:

Any player from the team that was awarded the penalty kick can take it, except for players on the substitute’s bench, Ricci says. The kick is taken from the penalty mark, which is about 12 years away from the goal, according to the US Soccer Referee Department. “Importantly, the goalkeeper must stay on the goal line between the goal posts until the ball is kicked,” a spokesperson for the department adds.

There are some instances in which penalty kicks won’t be awarded, even when an offense occurs inside the penalty area. If an attacking player is in an offside position and involved in active play when they’re fouled, no penalty kick will be awarded, the US Soccer Referee Department says. Refs can also apply the “advantage rule,” a spokesperson for the department says. “If the attacking team still has a chance to score, the referee may allow play to continue even if an offense occurs in the penalty area.”

When a penalty occurs outside of the penalty area, the opposing team is generally awarded a free kick. “A free kick . . . can be awarded anywhere on the field for the same fouls as above, or for other technical offenses such as offside. A free kick . . . is generally taken from where the offense occurs,” says a spokesperson from the US Soccer Referee Department. There are direct and indirect free kicks. The former are shot straight at the goal for a scoring attempt; the latter must be touched by a second player before going in the goal.

Are the Penalty Kick Rules the Same For Men’s and Women’s Soccer?

Yes, the rules governing penalty kicks are the same in both men’s and women’s soccer. Both leagues follow the same guidelines set by FIFA regarding how penalties are administered. “The laws only allow changes for youth, veterans, disability, and grassroots football, and these changes are not related to penalty kicks,” Ricci adds.

What About Handballs in Soccer?

One of the soccer penalties that gets the most attention are handballs or handling, which occur when a player uses any part of the arm from the tips of the fingers to (but not included) the shoulder to assist them in handling the ball. After all, soccer’s whole “thing” is that you can’t use your hands. But handballs don’t always lead to penalty kicks. A handball offense will lead to a penalty kick only if it occurs inside the penalty area and is deemed intentional or careless by the referee. Unintentional handballs may not result in a penalty. More info about the different types of handballs, here:

Each time one of these three handball offenses is committed by a player in his own penalty area, a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team, Ricci explains. But if a handball is committed outside of the penalty area or is deemed unintentional or accidental, no penalty will result.

Jade Esmeralda (she/her), MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer and a strength and conditioning specialist. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.