diff --git a/game/arbitration.cpp b/game/arbitration.cpp
index ca7f458..9990a18 100644
--- a/game/arbitration.cpp
+++ b/game/arbitration.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,45 @@ bool Arbitration::hasWarning(unsigned iPlayerId) const
 }
 
 
+void Arbitration::addPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId, int iPoints)
+{
+    ASSERT(iPlayerId < getNPlayers(), "Wrong player number");
+
+    if (iPoints == 0)
+    {
+        // Retrieve the default value of the penalty
+        iPoints = Settings::Instance().getInt("arbitration.default-penalty");
+    }
+    LOG_INFO("Giving a penalty of " << iPoints << " to player " << iPlayerId);
+
+    // If an existing penalty exists, merge it with the new one
+    const PlayerEventCmd *cmd = getPlayerEvent(iPlayerId, PlayerEventCmd::PENALTY);
+    if (cmd == 0)
+    {
+        Command *pCmd = new PlayerEventCmd(*m_players[iPlayerId],
+                                           PlayerEventCmd::PENALTY, iPoints);
+        accessNavigation().insertCommand(pCmd);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        Command *pCmd = new PlayerEventCmd(*m_players[iPlayerId],
+                                           PlayerEventCmd::PENALTY,
+                                           iPoints + cmd->getPoints());
+        accessNavigation().replaceCommand(*cmd, pCmd);
+    }
+}
+
+
+int Arbitration::getPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId) const
+{
+    ASSERT(iPlayerId < getNPlayers(), "Wrong player number");
+    const PlayerEventCmd *cmd = getPlayerEvent(iPlayerId, PlayerEventCmd::PENALTY);
+    if (cmd == 0)
+        return 0;
+    return cmd->getPoints();
+}
+
+
 void Arbitration::assignMove(unsigned int iPlayerId, const Move &iMove)
 {
     ASSERT(iPlayerId < getNPlayers(), "Wrong player number");
diff --git a/game/arbitration.h b/game/arbitration.h
index dc613a1..f880068 100644
--- a/game/arbitration.h
+++ b/game/arbitration.h
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ public:
     void removeWarning(unsigned iPlayerId);
     bool hasWarning(unsigned iPlayerId) const;
 
+    void addPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId, int iPoints);
+    int getPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId) const;
+
     void assignMove(unsigned int iPlayerId, const Move &iMove);
     void finalizeTurn();
 
diff --git a/game/player_event_cmd.cpp b/game/player_event_cmd.cpp
index 612c690..7043ea1 100644
--- a/game/player_event_cmd.cpp
+++ b/game/player_event_cmd.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "player_event_cmd.h"
 #include "player.h"
+#include "debug.h"
 
 
 INIT_LOGGER(game, PlayerEventCmd);
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ INIT_LOGGER(game, PlayerEventCmd);
 PlayerEventCmd::PlayerEventCmd(Player &ioPlayer, EventType iEvent, int iPoints)
     : m_player(ioPlayer), m_eventType(iEvent), m_points(iPoints)
 {
+    // This check is valid for the 3 event types
+    ASSERT(iPoints >= 0, "Negative points not allowed");
 }
 
 
diff --git a/game/public_game.cpp b/game/public_game.cpp
index 41c1bb7..dc7f18d 100644
--- a/game/public_game.cpp
+++ b/game/public_game.cpp
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ void PublicGame::arbitrationSetRackManual(const wstring &iLetters)
     getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).setRackManual(iLetters);
 }
 
+
 void PublicGame::arbitrationSearch(LimitResults &oResults)
 {
     return getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).search(oResults);
@@ -275,6 +276,7 @@ Move PublicGame::arbitrationCheckWord(const wstring &iWord,
     return getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).checkWord(iWord, iCoords);
 }
 
+
 void PublicGame::arbitrationToggleWarning(unsigned iPlayerId)
 {
     Arbitration &game = getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game);
@@ -284,11 +286,32 @@ void PublicGame::arbitrationToggleWarning(unsigned iPlayerId)
         game.addWarning(iPlayerId);
 }
 
+
+bool PublicGame::arbitrationHasWarning(unsigned iPlayerId) const
+{
+    return getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).hasWarning(iPlayerId);
+}
+
+
+void PublicGame::arbitrationAddPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId, int iPoints)
+{
+    Arbitration &game = getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game);
+    game.addPenalty(iPlayerId, iPoints);
+}
+
+
+int PublicGame::arbitrationGetPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId) const
+{
+    return getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).getPenalty(iPlayerId);
+}
+
+
 void PublicGame::arbitrationAssign(unsigned iPlayerId, const Move &iMove)
 {
     getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).assignMove(iPlayerId, iMove);
 }
 
+
 void PublicGame::arbitrationFinalizeTurn()
 {
     getTypedGame<Arbitration>(m_game).finalizeTurn();
diff --git a/game/public_game.h b/game/public_game.h
index 1ed01fd..75b433e 100644
--- a/game/public_game.h
+++ b/game/public_game.h
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ public:
                               const wstring &iCoords) const;
 
     void arbitrationToggleWarning(unsigned iPlayerId);
+    bool arbitrationHasWarning(unsigned iPlayerId) const;
+
+    void arbitrationAddPenalty(unsigned iPlayerId, int iPoints);
+    int arbitrationGetPenalty(unsigned iPlayer) const;
 
     void arbitrationAssign(unsigned playerId, const Move &iMove);
     void arbitrationFinalizeTurn();
diff --git a/game/settings.cpp b/game/settings.cpp
index 9d5462b..8e0c839 100644
--- a/game/settings.cpp
+++ b/game/settings.cpp
@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ Settings::Settings()
     // ============== Arbitration mode options ==============
     Setting &arbitration = m_conf->getRoot().add("arbitration", Setting::TypeGroup);
 
+    // Default value of a penalty
+    arbitration.add("default-penalty", Setting::TypeInt) = 5;
+
     // Number of search results kept in a search
     arbitration.add("search-limit", Setting::TypeInt) = 100;
 
@@ -197,6 +200,7 @@ Settings::Settings()
         copySetting<bool>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "duplicate.reject-invalid");
         copySetting<bool>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "freegame.reject-invalid");
         copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "arbitration.search-limit");
+        copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "arbitration.default-penalty");
     }
     catch (...)
     {
@@ -281,6 +285,8 @@ int Settings::getInt(const string &iName) const
         return 10;
     else if (iName == "arbitration.search-limit")
         return 100;
+    else if (iName == "arbitration.default-penalty")
+        return 5;
     return 0;
 #endif
 }