Penalty Shootout: Rules, History and Great World Cup Moments
A penalty shootout is the method used to decide a knockout football match that remains level after regulation and extra time. Each side takes alternating kicks from the penalty spot until a winner emerges. It is a dual test of technique and nerve, and has produced many of the World Cup’s most memorable moments. This article explains the rules of the shootout, its history, and its place in major tournaments.
What a Penalty Shootout Is
A penalty shootout is not part of the match’s playing time but a separate procedure to determine a result. It is used only in knockout ties that require a winner, once both normal time and extra time have failed to separate the teams. Kicks are taken from the penalty mark by nominated takers who alternate, while the goalkeeper defends on the goal line. The whole contest is compressed into a series of one-on-one duels.
The Basic Rules
Under the current Laws overseen by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), each team first takes five kicks, alternating between sides. If the scores are level after five kicks each, the shootout moves to sudden death, where the teams take one kick per round until one scores and the other misses in the same round. If one side takes an unassailable lead before all five kicks are taken, the shootout ends early. Only players on the pitch at the end of the match are eligible to take kicks.
How the Shootout Was Introduced
Before the shootout existed, drawn knockout ties were often settled by replays or by drawing lots, the latter widely seen as unfair. The modern shootout is credited to figures including the German referee Karl Wald and the Israeli Yosef Dagan. The International Football Association Board adopted the penalty shootout into the Laws in 1970 as a fairer alternative to replays and lots, and it gradually became standard across major competitions.
The World Cup and Classic Moments
The first World Cup match ever decided by a shootout was the 1982 semi-final in Spain, where West Germany beat France 5-4 after a 3-3 draw. Shootouts have since decided many World Cup knockout ties, right up to finals, making them a defining stage on which titles are won and lost and turning both takers and goalkeepers into the center of attention.
FAQ
Q: How many kicks does each team take?
A: Five each to begin with; if still level, the shootout goes to round-by-round sudden death.
Q: When was the penalty shootout introduced?
A: The IFAB adopted it into the Laws in 1970, replacing replays and the drawing of lots.
Q: What was the first World Cup shootout?
A: The 1982 World Cup semi-final in Spain, where West Germany beat France 5-4.
For more tactics and rules explainers, browse our analysis section, or check the full fixtures and results page.
