<P> A penalty kick (commonly known as a penalty or a PK) is a method of restarting play in association football, in which a player is allowed to take a single shot on the goal while it is defended only by the opposing team's goalkeeper . It is awarded when a foul punishable by a direct free kick is committed by a player in his or her own penalty area . The shot is taken from the penalty mark, which is 12 yards (11 m) from the goal line and centred between the touch lines . </P> <P> In practice, penalty kicks result in goals more often than not, even against the best and most experienced goalkeepers . This means that penalty awards are often decisive, especially in low - scoring games . </P>

When does a penalty kick occur in soccer
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