In rugby union, a penalty is awarded by the referee when a player or team commits an infringement of the rules. Common infringements include offside, handling the ball in a ruck or scrum, and high tackles. When a penalty is awarded, the non-offending team is given the choice to either kick for goal, kick for touch (resulting in a line-out), take a Scrum, or tap the ball and run.
Depending on the severity of the infringement, it can result in further sanctions: a Yellow Card, a Red Card, or a Penalty Try.