How did the penalty kick come about in football?

KohakuThe penalty kick in football is said to have come from one person's idea.

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Let me tell you how it came about.

The penalty kick was added to the rules in 1891 as a punishment for fouls near the goal. The person said to have come up with it is William McCrum, who was a goalkeeper for a club in Ireland. He is said to have proposed it around 1890.

A goal on a grass pitch and the area in front of it where the penalty mark is — The penalty mark is 11 m (12 yards) in front of the goal.Photo: Richard Webb / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

The penalty kick joined the rules in 1891

The penalty kick was added to the rules of football (soccer) in 1891 as a punishment for fouls near the goal. The person said to have come up with it is William McCrum of Ireland. He was a goalkeeper for a club in the village of Milford, in County Armagh. He is said to have put the idea forward around 1890.

From Ireland to an international meeting

The idea was carried by Jack Reid, secretary of the Irish Football Association, to IFAB, the International Football Association Board that decides the rules. In 1890, it is said, the proposal was withdrawn because opposition was expected, and it was put off until the next year. Then, on 2 June 1891, at a meeting in Glasgow, it is said to have been approved unanimously.

Strong opposition at first

There was strong opposition at the time. In England the idea was called an "Irishman's notion." Some people criticized a rule that took for granted that players would foul, calling it an insult to sportsmen. The first rule is said to have covered fouls within 12 yards of the goal line, and the kick could be taken from anywhere along the 12-yard line.

KohakuAt first it was called an "Irishman's notion," and there was opposition, it seems.

Today's kick is taken from 11 m

Under today's rules, the penalty mark is 11 m (12 yards) from the midpoint between the goalposts. If a team commits a foul that would be a direct free kick inside its own penalty area, the opponents are given a penalty kick. Unlike the first rule, which allowed any point along the 12-yard line, the kick is now taken from a fixed mark.

Figure: Where the penalty mark is

Want to know more?

The penalty area is made by drawing lines 16.5 m (18 yards) from the inside of each goalpost.
A stone plinth at the entrance to the village of Milford is said to carry words meaning "the home of the penalty kick."

KohakuA goalkeeper's proposal lives on today as the penalty kick taken from a mark 11 m from goal.

Quick quiz: test yourself

Who is said to have proposed the penalty kick?

Show the answer

An English referee
A Scottish coach
An Irish goalkeeper

An Irish goalkeeper William McCrum, a goalkeeper for a club in Ireland, is said to have proposed it around 1890.

Sources

An 'Irishman's Notion' – William McCrum & Penalty Kicks In SoccerBeyond the Last Man
The Penalty KickMilford House (Milford, County Armagh)
Law 1 - The Field of PlayIFAB (International Football Association Board)
William McCrum, Robert McCrum and the story of the penalty kickNotting Hill Editions

This article was written after checking the sources above as of 2026-10-03. Explanations may change as research progresses. Photo credits are shown below each photo.