penalty area

noun

Soccer.

1. the area, 44 yards (40 meters) wide and 18 yards (16 meters) deep, centered on the goal line and extending in front of the goal, where a foul by a defensive player results in a penalty kick for the offensive team.

penalty area

noun

1. soccer a rectangular area in front of the goal, within which the goalkeeper may handle the ball and within which a penalty is awarded for a foul by the defending team

Word History and Origins

Origin of penalty area¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

On his debut he was fortunate to get away with an ill-advised dash out of his penalty area.

Read more on BBC

There was a time not so long ago in Premier League football when scoring from a free-kick or corner was seen as the province of the poorly equipped, a failsafe tactic of so-called weaker teams who could bully more established opponents by firing crosses into a packed penalty area - particularly on a rainy night in Stoke.

Read more on BBC

It was Van Dijk who brought down Outarra on the line of the penalty area to concede the spot-kick from which Igor Thiago effectively sealed the success for Brentford.

Read more on BBC

That touch from the header was the only one Chermiti managed in the Brann penalty area all game.

Read more on BBC

He likewise leads the way in high pressures applied in the opposition penalty area.

Read more on BBC