What a penalty shootout is
A penalty shootout is the method used to decide a knockout match that is still level after normal time and extra time. Each team takes a series of penalty kicks, and the side that scores more wins. It exists because some matches — cup finals, tournament knockouts — must produce a winner, and a shootout is the fairest quick way to separate two evenly matched teams.
The basic rules
- Both teams take five penalties each, alternating.
- Kicks are taken at one end of the pitch, decided by the referee, and the order (who goes first) is decided by a coin toss.
- Only players who were on the pitch at the end of extra time may take part.
- The team that scores more of its five kicks wins.
- If the result is already decided before all five are taken (e.g. one side leads 3-0 after three rounds with two to go), the shootout stops early.
Sudden death
If the score is level after five kicks each, the shootout moves to sudden death: each team takes one more kick per round, and as soon as one team scores and the other misses in the same round, the match is over. Every outfield player (and the goalkeeper) must take a kick before anyone can take a second, so a long shootout can force defenders and even goalkeepers to step up.
The goalkeeper's role
The goalkeeper must keep at least part of one foot on or in line with the goal line until the ball is kicked — they cannot rush off the line early. Keepers use every legal edge: studying a taker's habits, delaying, and diving late. A shootout is as much a psychological duel between taker and keeper as a test of technique.
Why shootouts are so dramatic
Penalties look simple — one kicker, one keeper, 12 yards — but the pressure is immense, because a single miss can end a season or a World Cup. That's why shootouts produce some of football's most iconic and painful moments. Teams now prepare seriously for them, choosing takers in advance and studying opposition goalkeepers, but nerve on the night still decides most of them.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many penalties are taken in a shootout?
- Each team takes five penalties, alternating. If still level after five each, it goes to sudden death — one kick each per round until one team scores and the other misses.
- Who can take penalties in a shootout?
- Only players who were on the pitch at the end of extra time. In sudden death, every eligible player must take one kick before anyone takes a second.
- What is sudden death in a penalty shootout?
- After five kicks each with the score level, teams take one penalty each per round; the first round where one scores and the other misses decides the match.
- Can the goalkeeper move during a shootout penalty?
- The goalkeeper must keep at least part of one foot on or in line with the goal line until the ball is kicked, so they cannot come off the line early.
- Why is a shootout used instead of replaying the match?
- Knockout matches must produce a winner quickly, especially in tournaments with tight schedules. A shootout is the fairest fast method to separate two level teams.