The intensification of agricultural production systems has caused soil compaction even when soil conservation technologies are adopted. Soil compaction is one of the main problems for farmers, both in no-tillage and in conventional-tillage systems, as well as in pasture. This study was conducted in Rio Verde, (State of Goias), on Red-Yellow Latosol under the following systems: no-tillage for 14 years (SD14); no-tillage for 8 years (SD8); no-tillage for 2 years (SD2); conventional tillage (CT); pasture (P) and forest (F). The soil resistance to penetration was measured by the impact penetrometer Model IAA/Planalsucar - Stolf, from soil surface to the soil depth of 0.40 m. Soil bulk density and granulometry were also determined. Conventional tillage had lower resistance to penetration at the 0-0.10 m depth, whereas SD2 had more resistance up to 0.40 m in depth. There were no significant differences below 0.15 m in depth among treatments CT, SD8, and SD14. The first two years under the no-tillage system are critical, with regard to the resistance to penetration in to the soil surface layers.