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"Originally nicknamed the 'kick of death', the penalty kick was introduced in 1891. It has created more drama and controversy than any other aspect of the game. The reason is simple. A penalty is an outstanding opportunity to score, as the taker is one-on-one with the goalkeeper and all the other players are outside the penalty are. In certain situations, the referee can order the kick to be retaken - if the taker misses by a defender entered the area before the kick, for example, Penalty takers must hit the ball forwards and cannot make contact with the ball again until it has touched another player. Some penalty takers favour accuracy over power, aiming the ball low into the corner of the goal; others blast the ball. For the keeper, trying to figure out where the ball will go is a guessing game." - The Kingfisher Football Encyclopedia
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