What must the referee do when a player denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity within their own penalty area?

When a player denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity within their own penalty area, the correct action for the referee is to award a penalty kick to the opposing team and show a red card to the offending player. This decision is grounded in the Laws of the Game, specifically to uphold the principle of fair competition.

Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity typically involves a foul that prevents an attacking player from having a clear chance to score, such as tripping, pushing, or handling the ball. The red card serves as a disciplinary measure, reflecting the severity of the offense when it compromises the integrity of the game by stopping a clear scoring chance. Thus, the penalty kick is awarded to provide the unfairly disadvantaged team an opportunity to score directly from the spot of the infringement within the penalty area.