A penalty has goal and touch privileges that a free-kick does not.

The law and version used here

This page applies the World Rugby Laws of the Game digital text updated in July 2026, principally Law 20, “Penalty and free-kick,” for the 15-a-side international-law baseline. Laws 5, 7, 8, 17 and 18 control time, advantage, scoring, marks and touch outcomes.

World Rugby says its July 2026 changes apply to new competitions and events starting after 1 July 2026. A league already in progress may use a later implementation date chosen by its union. Age-grade, community, sevens, tens and modified forms can also have variations, so the appointed competition regulations remain part of the answer.

“Penalty” and “free-kick” describe the restart

The law governing the original infringement specifies its sanction. Penalties appear for offences including offside, illegal tackle-area conduct and foul play; free-kicks appear for particular technical or procedural offences, including several lineout breaches, time-wasting under Law 9.7(d), and a correctly claimed mark under Law 17.

It is unsafe to decide only that an offence “looked minor.” The referee identifies the exact law and applies the sanction attached to it. A card is a separate disciplinary decision: some foul-play penalties also require a caution, temporary suspension or sending-off, while an ordinary technical penalty does not automatically mean a card.

Five checks settle most restarts

1. Name the sanction. Was a penalty or a free-kick awarded?
2. Locate the mark. Use Law 20.1, including its special locations for lineout, in-goal, dead-ball and late-charge offences.
3. Identify the election. Tap, kick in play, touch, penalty goal, scrum or the limited lineout option.
4. Check both teams. The ball, kicker, teammates and retreating opponents each have requirements.
5. Apply the chosen kick's consequence. Touch ownership, score, scrum sanction, 10-metre advance and end-of-half treatment are not interchangeable.

What the awarded team may choose

Law 20.3 lets a team awarded a penalty choose a scrum instead. Otherwise any player may take the kick, in any direction, by punt, drop-kick or place-kick; a place-kick may not be used for touch. In practical terms the usual choices are:

• Tap and play: kick the ball a visible distance, then carry or pass.
• Kick infield: punt or drop-kick for territory, pressure or possession.
• Kick to touch: gain the special Law 18 throw-in benefit.
• Kick at goal: attempt a three-point penalty goal under Law 8.
• Choose a scrum: take it at the applicable penalty mark.

For a penalty awarded at a lineout, Law 20.4(a) adds an option of a lineout or scrum at the same mark.

The choices are deliberately narrower

A free-kick may also be tapped or kicked in any direction using the methods allowed by Law 20.8. It cannot be used for a penalty goal, and Law 20 gives no general right to exchange it for a scrum.

There is one important set-piece exception: under Law 20.4(b), a team awarded a free-kick at a lineout may choose a lineout at the same mark. That election still counts for Law 8.29's temporary restriction on scoring a dropped goal.

The infringement decides where play restarts

Under Law 20.1, an infringement while the ball is in play is normally marked at the place of infringement. An offence in a lineout is marked on the 15-metre line at the mark of touch; a phase offside is marked at the offending team's offside line; and an offence in in-goal or within five metres of a try line is moved into the field, five metres from that try line.

Dead-ball and off-field offences use their own entries in Law 20.1. A late charge on a kicker is especially important: the non-offending team may choose the penalty at the offence or at the defined landing/next-play location, subject to the law's 15-metre and in-goal adjustments.

The restart may be taken at the mark or anywhere behind it on a line through the mark parallel to the touchlines. A kick from the wrong place is retaken; “close to the mark” is not a separate legal option.

A tap must be an actual kick

Law 20.11 requires the ball to be kicked a visible distance. From the hands it must clearly leave the hands; from the ground it must clearly leave the mark. Only after that may the kicker play it again.

• Use the ball that was in play unless the referee rules it defective.
• Take the restart without delay.
• Keep every teammate behind the ball until it is kicked, except a placer at a place-kick.
• Do not place-kick for touch.

The Law 20 sanction for delay, using the wrong ball, teammates being ahead or failing to kick a visible distance is a scrum. Law 7.3(e) also prevents the referee applying advantage to an incorrectly taken penalty or free-kick.

Retreat is an obligation, not a grace period

On either award, opponents must immediately retreat 10 metres towards their own try line, or reach that try line if it is nearer. They may not delay the restart, obstruct the kicker or move the ball out of reach.

A genuinely quick kick may catch opponents before they had an opportunity to retire. Law 20.14 says they are not sanctioned merely for being caught there, but they remain out of the game until they retreat 10 metres from the mark or a teammate who was already 10 metres away moves in front of them. Interference before then brings a second penalty or free-kick 10 metres in front of the original mark; the team must wait for the referee to make that new mark before restarting.

A legal charge begins with the kicking movement

Law 20.16 allows the opposing team to charge once the kicker initiates the movement to kick. A legally positioned opponent may tackle the kicker or block the kick. If a fair charge prevents the free-kick being taken, Law 20.17 disallows the kick and awards a scrum at the mark, with the charging team throwing in.

This does not release an opponent who was caught inside 10 metres by a quick restart. That player must still complete the Law 20.14 retreat or be put onside in the way that clause permits before taking part. There is no equivalent charge right at a penalty.

The kicking team normally keeps the throw

Law 18.8(c) gives the kicking team the lineout throw where a penalty kick reaches touch, whether it goes directly, bounces first, or hits an opponent or the referee first. The usual open-play “who put it into touch” result does not replace this penalty privilege.

There is a narrow but important exception: if a player legitimately attempts a penalty goal and the ball instead goes into touch, the non-kicking team throws in. A failed shot at goal should not be treated as a tactical penalty kick to touch.

Territory and throw-in ownership are separate

A free-kick carries no automatic right to the throw. If it is kicked directly into touch from outside the kicker's 22, Law 18.8(e) gives no gain in ground and the non-kicking team throws. A free-kick awarded inside the kicker's 22 may be kicked directly into touch with a gain in ground, but Law 18.8(d) still gives the throw to the non-kicking team.

If the ball bounces or is played before touch, the other Law 18 entries determine the mark and throw. The safe comparison is therefore not “penalties gain ground, free-kicks do not”; it is that a penalty has a special throw-in privilege, while a free-kick does not.

A penalty goal is three points and has a 60-second limit

Law 8.1 makes a penalty goal worth three points. The team must indicate its intention without delay and, once the referee is told—or a tee or sand arrives, or the player marks the ground—it must kick at goal. Law 8.21 allows 60 seconds of playing time from that indication. If the time expires, the kick is disallowed and a scrum is awarded.

During the approach the opposition must stand still with hands by their sides and must not shout. If the defenders infringe and the kick succeeds, the goal stands with no further penalty; if it misses, Law 8.27 awards a penalty 10 metres in front of the original mark. A drop-kick that scores still counts even if the kicker had not first indicated an intention to kick at goal.

A tap does not immediately unlock a dropped goal

A free-kick cannot produce a penalty goal. Law 8.29 also prevents the awarded team from scoring a dropped goal until the ball next becomes dead, an opponent plays or touches it, or an opponent tackles the ball-carrier. The restriction also applies when the team chooses a lineout instead of a free-kick.

Passing or carrying among teammates, or taking a tap and immediately drop-kicking, does not by itself satisfy any listed reset event. If the restricted dropped-goal attempt crosses the bar, it is deemed unsuccessful and play continues.

The whistle may wait, but the standard is real benefit

Law 7 permits advantage after an infringement when the non-offending team may gain a tactical or territorial benefit. The benefit must be clear and real, not merely possible. If it materialises, play continues and no kick is awarded; if it is unlikely to materialise, the referee returns to the original sanction.

If the offending team commits another infringement before advantage is gained, the referee may stop and let the non-offending captain choose the more advantageous sanction. Foul-play sanctions can still be applied even when play was allowed to continue.

A late award can keep the half alive

Under Law 5.7, a half does not end merely because the clock has expired if the referee then awards a penalty or free-kick. For a penalty kicked directly to touch after time has expired, the half continues to the lineout when the ball went dead without first being tapped or touching another player.

That special continuation is written for a penalty, not a free-kick. It also does not preserve a lineout after the awarded team first taps the penalty and then kicks the ball to touch: after the tap, play has restarted, and the normal dead-ball end of the half applies.

The catcher normally must take this free-kick

A correctly claimed mark under Law 17 stops play and gives the catching team a free-kick. Unlike an ordinary free-kick, it must be taken by the player who made the mark. If that player was injured while claiming it and cannot take the kick within one minute, a teammate may take it.

A mark inside the 22 is taken at the place of the mark, adjusted to at least five metres from the try line. A mark in in-goal produces a free-kick on the five-metre line in line with the place of the mark.

A retreating defender tackles a quick tap

Situation: Green taps a penalty immediately. Blue 6, only four metres from the mark when it was awarded, turns and tackles the carrier before retiring.

World Rugby July 2026 ruling: Blue 6 is not penalised merely for having had no time to reach 10 metres, but is penalised for taking part before being put onside. Under Laws 20.14 and 20.12–15, advance the same type of sanction 10 metres and wait for the referee's new mark.

A free-kick is punted straight out from the 22

Situation: Green receives a free-kick inside its own 22 and punts directly into touch 35 metres upfield.

World Rugby July 2026 ruling: Green gains the ground because the free-kick was awarded inside the 22, but Blue throws into the lineout where the ball reached touch. Law 18.8(d) separates territorial gain from throw-in ownership.

A tap, two passes and an immediate drop goal

Situation: Green taps a free-kick, passes twice and drop-kicks the ball through the posts. No opponent has played or touched the ball or tackled a carrier, and the ball has not become dead.

World Rugby July 2026 ruling: no score; play continues. Team possession and passes do not remove Law 8.29's dropped-goal restriction.

A shot at goal drifts into touch

Situation: Green declares a penalty goal attempt. The kick misses the posts and crosses the touchline.

World Rugby July 2026 ruling: Blue, the non-kicking team, throws in where the ball reached touch, no closer than five metres from the try line. Law 18.8(c)'s failed-goal exception controls, not the ordinary penalty-to-touch privilege.

A penalty goes to touch after the clock expires

Situation: the referee awards Green a penalty after time has expired. Green does not tap; it punts directly into touch.

World Rugby July 2026 ruling: play continues with Green's lineout. Law 5.7(c) expressly preserves this sequence. If Green had tapped first and then kicked to touch, the half would end when the ball became dead.

Claims that need qualification

• “Every minor offence is a free-kick.” The specific law assigns the sanction; appearance is not the test.
• “A tap can be taken from somewhere near the mark.” It must be at the mark or legally behind it.
• “A defender caught inside 10 can tackle because the kick was quick.” No; lack of retreat time excuses the position, not participation.
• “Every penalty into touch gives the kicker's team the throw.” A genuine penalty goal attempt that goes into touch is an exception.
• “A free-kick never gains ground.” One awarded inside the 22 can gain ground when kicked directly out, but the opposition still throws.
• “A penalty automatically means a yellow card.” The restart sanction and any disciplinary action are separate decisions.

Governing-body sources and effective version

• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 20: Penalty and free-kick
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 18.8: Touch and lineout outcomes
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Laws 8.18–29: Penalty goals and dropped goals
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 17: Mark
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 9: Foul play and disciplinary sanctions
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 5.7: End of a half
• World Rugby — Laws of the Game, July 2026 digital text, Law 7: Advantage
• World Rugby — July 2026 law updates and implementation notice, effective 1 July for new competitions/events

Checked on 28 August 2026 against World Rugby's live English law text and July 2026 implementation notice. This page states the 15-a-side international baseline; unions and match organisers may set later adoption dates for competitions already in progress and may publish age-grade, community or competition-specific variations.