How to Score and Save Penalties: Tips for Football Games and Real Life
A penalty looks like the simplest moment in football: one ball, one keeper, twelve yards. In practice it is a test of nerve for both players, and a small mind game that has been studied in surprising detail. Most of what works on a real pitch also works in online penalty games, because it comes down to choosing where to aim and not giving away your choice.
The basic facts
The penalty spot is 11 metres (12 yards) from the goal line. The goal is 7.32 metres wide and 2.44 metres high. A well-struck penalty reaches the line in around half a second. That is too short for a keeper to react, so keepers usually have to guess, and they tend to commit before the ball is struck.
How shootouts work
Each team takes five kicks, alternating. If one side gets a lead that the other cannot catch, the shootout ends early. If it is level after five, it goes to sudden death, one kick each, until a round produces a winner.
Tips for the kicker
Decide early and do not change
Pick your spot before your run-up, or before you take your shot in a game. Changing your mind at the last moment is one of the most common causes of a miss.
Aim for the corners, low or high
The most reliable areas are the corners. A low shot into the corner is hard for a keeper to reach, and it will not go over the bar. A high corner is close to unsaveable, but the margin for error is small.
Do not ignore the middle
A well-known 2007 study by Michael Bar-Eli and colleagues looked at 286 penalties from top leagues and championships. Keepers stayed in the middle only about 6 percent of the time, even though nearly a third of the kicks went there. The authors suggested that a dive feels like doing something, while a keeper who stands still and concedes looks foolish. Later researchers have questioned how far that conclusion goes, but the basic point holds: a shot down the centre can work, especially once you have shown a pattern. Antonín Panenka made this famous in the 1976 European Championship final with his chipped winner down the middle.
Vary your choices
In an online game against a real person, your opponent is watching your habits. If you shoot left twice, they will expect a third. Mixing up both side and height keeps them guessing.
Tips for the goalkeeper
Watch for patterns
Professional keepers study where each kicker has shot before. You can do the same in a multiplayer game. Most players have a favourite side, and it often shows within two or three kicks.
Consider staying central sometimes
Since most keepers dive, a player who has been shooting at the corners may try the centre once. Staying put at the right moment can win you a save, and it also makes your opponent less sure of themselves.
Commit fully
A half-dive in the right direction often saves nothing. Choose a side and go. In games with swipe or timing controls, a late change of mind usually leaves you stuck in the middle.
Handling pressure
The kicks that decide a shootout are hard because of what a miss means. Players who keep to a routine tend to do better than those who rush. Take your time. Before a kick in a game, pause for a moment rather than hurrying straight into the swipe. You will notice the difference in your accuracy.
Practising accuracy
If you want to sharpen your aim without a keeper in the way, try a crossbar challenge. Hitting a narrow target over and over teaches you how small changes in your swipe affect where the ball goes, and that carries straight into penalties.
