If a match is still tied after penalty kicks, it usually goes to sudden death : each team takes one kick at a time until one scores and the other misses. In many competitions, the shootout keeps going until there is a winner; in a single penalty kick, though, there is no tie because each kick is simply a goal or a miss.

How it works

  • Each team normally takes five penalties.
  • If the scores are still level after five each, the shootout continues one kick at a time.
  • The first round where one team scores and the other misses ends the match.

In tournament play

  • In knockout matches, a tie after regulation usually leads to extra time before penalties.
  • If the game is still tied after extra time, penalties decide the winner.
  • The exact format can vary a little by competition, but the sudden-death finish is the standard tiebreaker once the initial five kicks are level.

Quick example

Team A and Team B both score 4 out of 5 penalties. They keep shooting one by one. If Team A scores next and Team B misses, Team A wins right there.