The Laws of the Game · 1891

The penalty kick

Real football fact

The facts

The penalty kick joined the Laws in 1891. The idea came from William McCrum, a goalkeeper from Ireland.
Today the ball goes on the penalty mark, 11 metres from the goal line.
The goalkeeper stays on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

William McCrum came from Milford, County Armagh, in Ireland. He wanted to stop defenders fouling attackers to stop a goal.
The Irish Football Association sent his idea to the IFAB in 1890, and it became a Law in 1891.
In 1891 the kick could be taken from anywhere 12 yards (about 11 m) from the goal line, and the goalkeeper could come out up to 6 yards (5.5 m).
There was no penalty box yet: a line went right across the pitch 12 yards out, a dotted line 18 yards out, and a 6-yard arc was drawn from each post. Switch to 1891 and look at the grass.
The penalty spot arrived in 1902. Since 1905 the goalkeeper has had to stay on the goal line.
The first penalty in the English Football League was scored for Wolves against Accrington on 14 September 1891.
A study of 286 penalties found that keepers saved none of the kicks into the top third of the goal, but about 1 in 5 of the low kicks.
A study of 311 penalties found that keepers dived left or right 94% of the time, and stayed in the middle only about 6% of the time.

Pick your spot early and don’t change your mind: a calm routine helps under pressure.