Penalty shootouts in soccer are the tiebreaker used when a knockout match is still tied after regular time and, if played, extra time. Each team usually takes five kicks in alternating order, and the team with more goals after those five wins; if they’re still level, it goes to sudden death.

How it works

  • The referee uses a coin toss to decide the end of the field and which team shoots first.
  • Teams alternate kicks, usually in an ABABAB... pattern, for five attempts each.
  • A team can win early if the other side can’t catch up with its remaining kicks.
  • If the score is tied after five kicks each, the shootout continues one kick at a time until one team leads after a round.

Important rules

  • Only players who were on the field at the end of the match can usually take part, including the goalkeeper.
  • The goalkeeper must stay on the goal line until the ball is kicked.
  • The kicker must shoot forward and cannot touch the ball again until another player touches it.
  • If there’s an infraction, the kick may be retaken or counted as a miss depending on what happened.

Simple example

If Team A scores its first three kicks and Team B misses two of its first three, Team A may already have an unbeatable lead even before all five kicks are taken. That’s why shootouts can end suddenly, even though they’re scheduled as five-per-team.

What fans usually notice

Shootouts are tense because they mix skill, pressure, and a little luck, and the order of kicks can matter a lot. That’s also why many teams prefer to shoot first after winning the toss.

Information gathered from public sources on the rules of penalty shootouts and recent explanations of the format.