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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Stadium, Pitch & Fans

Penalty area

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈpenəlti ˌeriə/nounCore term

In football (soccer), penalty area means: The large marked box in front of each goal, 16.5 metres (18 yards) deep, where a defender's direct free-kick offence leads to a penalty and the goalkeeper may handle the ball.

In Turkish: ceza sahası

How it is used

Commonly called the box or the 18-yard box. Commentators say a player is in the box or on the edge of the box, or that he went down in the box. The smaller box inside it is the goal area, or six-yard box.

Example sentences

  1. He was brought down inside the penalty area, but the referee waved play on.

  2. Our full-backs must track runners into the penalty area.

Common collocations

  • inside the penalty area
  • edge of the penalty area
  • the box
  • six-yard box
  • penaltyA shot at goal from the penalty spot, 11 metres (12 yards) from the goal line, given when a defender commits a direct free-kick offence inside their own penalty area.
  • goalkeeperThe player who defends the goal and is the only one allowed to handle the ball, but only inside their own penalty area.
  • pitchThe rectangular grass or artificial surface on which football is played, marked with lines for the halfway line, penalty areas and goal areas.
  • foulAn unfair or illegal action against an opponent, such as tripping, pushing or holding, for which the referee gives a free kick or a penalty.

More terms: Stadium, Pitch & Fans

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