Penalty Shot

A penalty shot in the sport of Quidditch is a free, unopposed shot at the goal hoops awarded to a team when one of its players is subjected to a serious foul by an opponent. It provides the fouled team a clear opportunity to score ten points. The procedure and rules are officiated by the match Referee. The execution of a penalty shot follows a strict set of rules:

• A single Chaser from the offended team is chosen to take the shot.
• The Chaser takes possession of the Quaffle and flies from the central circle of the Quidditch pitch towards the scoring area.
• Only the opposing team's Keeper is permitted to defend the three goal hoops.
• All other players from both teams, including the Keeper's own teammates, must stay back and are forbidden from interfering with the shot in any way.
• If the Chaser successfully throws the Quaffle through one of the hoops, their team is awarded ten points.

Penalty shots are mentioned on several occasions throughout Harry Potter's Quidditch career at Hogwarts.

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: During Harry Potter's debut match against Slytherin, Gryffindor Chaser Angelina Johnson is awarded a penalty after being deliberately blocked by Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint. Angelina takes the shot and scores, leveling the game.
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: In the climactic Gryffindor versus Slytherin match for the Quidditch Cup, multiple penalties are given due to the game's aggressive nature. Angelina Johnson takes and scores a penalty, while Alicia Spinnet is awarded another after being elbowed in the face by Marcus Flint, though she misses the shot in her anger.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: To decide the new Gryffindor Keeper, team Captain Harry Potter has candidates Ron Weasley and Cormac McLaggen each defend against five penalty shots. The shots are taken by the team's Chasers: Ginny Weasley, Katie Bell, and Demelza Robins. Ron successfully saves five shots, while Cormac, having been subtly Confunded by Hermione Granger, misses the last one, securing Ron's place on the team.

• The penalty shot in Quidditch is directly analogous to similar rules in Muggle sports, such as the penalty kick in football (soccer) or the penalty shot in ice hockey, which grant a player a one-on-one scoring opportunity against the goalkeeper as a consequence of a major foul.
• The mechanics of taking and defending against penalty shots are a key feature in the Quidditch World Cup video game, where the player engages in a mini-game to either score or save the shot (video game).