How do penalty shootouts work in football

A penalty shootout is the method used in knockout football to decide a match that stays level after full time and, where used, extra time. Each team takes five alternating kicks from the penalty mark, and if the score is still level after ten kicks, the shootout moves to sudden death until one team holds an unassailable lead. The 2026/27 season brings several Law changes that affect the margins of the shootout — the goalkeeper injury trial, the five-second countdown on restarts, and the extended VAR scope for second yellow cards — though the core structure of the shootout itself remains unchanged.

How penalty shootouts work

The shootout follows a fixed procedure that has been standard across football for decades. After the final whistle of a drawn knockout match, the referee calls both captains for a coin toss. The winner of the toss chooses which end the shootout takes place at and whether their team kicks first or second. The choice of end matters because the condition of the penalty area and the crowd behind the goal can influence the outcome, and the decision to kick first carries a known statistical advantage across the history of the sport.

Each team nominates five kickers before the shootout starts. The order is not fixed — the manager can decide the sequence based on who is on the pitch, not who is on the bench. Only players who were on the field at the final whistle may take part. A player who was sent off during the match cannot participate. A player who is injured and cannot continue after the match ends may be replaced by a substitute if the team has not used its full allocation of five substitutions. This is where the 2026/27 substitution law interacts with the shootout: a player who was substituted off during the match cannot return for the shootout, but a player who was on the pitch and is injured afterwards can be swapped for a remaining substitute.

The teams alternate kicks. Team A kicks first, then Team B, then Team A again, and so on. If after five rounds each the score is level, the shootout enters sudden death: the same alternating order continues, and the first round where one team scores and the other does not decides the match. The referee does not restart the five-kick count in sudden death — it is a continuous extension of the same sequence.

The goalkeeper must stay on the goal line until the ball is kicked. Moving off the line early is a Law infringement, and if the kick is missed, the referee may order a retake. The kicker may not feint at the point of striking the ball — a stutter-step run-up is permitted, but a complete stop is not. If the kicker feints, the kick is disallowed and a goal kick is awarded to the defending team.

The 2026/27 Law changes that affect shootouts

The 2026/27 season introduces a goalkeeper injury trial that runs across the English professional game. If play stops for a goalkeeper injury, the manager nominates an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately and stay off for one minute after the restart. This trial does not directly cover the shootout interval, but it could apply if a goalkeeper is injured during the brief period between the end of extra time and the start of the shootout. The referee would treat the pre-shootout period as a stoppage in play, and the trial rules would apply: the keeper receives treatment, an outfield player leaves the pitch for one minute after the restart, and the team plays with ten players when the shootout begins.

The five-second countdown on goal kicks and throw-ins is also relevant. A delayed goal kick on a rolling restart concedes a corner, and a delayed throw-in flips possession to the opposition. During a shootout, the goalkeeper is the player who restarts play after a save or a miss, and the five-second rule applies to goal kicks. A goalkeeper who deliberately delays the restart to disrupt the opposition's rhythm risks conceding a corner — a significant tactical risk in a shootout scenario.

The 10-second substitution limit applies to open play but does not directly affect the shootout because substitutions cannot be made during the shootout itself. However, the limit affects which players are available for the shootout: a player who exceeds the 10-second exit window on their substitution during the match cannot be replaced until the next stoppage after a full minute, which means that player might still be on the pitch at the final whistle when the shootout begins, even if the manager intended to substitute them.

History and evolution of the shootout

The penalty shootout was not part of the original Laws of the Game. Football matches that ended level in knockout competitions were originally decided by replays — a full match played again at a later date. The FA Cup used replays until the early 1990s, and the Premier League was founded in 1992 with replays still in use for the domestic cups. The shootout was adopted by IFAB in 1970 and was first used in a major tournament at the 1976 European Championship, where Czechoslovakia beat West Germany. The first World Cup shootout was in 1982 between West Germany and France.

The Premier League itself does not use shootouts for league matches. League matches use the points system (three for a win, one for a draw), and if two teams finish level on points, the tiebreakers are goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record, and finally a play-off at a neutral venue. The shootout is reserved for knockout competitions such as the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield, along with European competitions involving Premier League clubs.

The 2026/27 Community Shield between Manchester City and Arsenal follows the same format: if the match is level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time are played, and if still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner. The shootout format for the Community Shield is the same as for all other knockout competitions under the Laws of the Game.

Edge cases and common confusions

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the shootout is who can take a kick. A common belief is that any player in the matchday squad can participate. This is wrong. Only players who are on the pitch at the final whistle are eligible. A player who was substituted off during the match cannot return for the shootout, even if the team has unused substitutes. Conversely, a substitute who was not on the pitch at the final whistle cannot be added for the shootout, except in the specific case of an injured goalkeeper where the team has used all its substitutes — in that case, an outfield player may take the goalkeeper position for the shootout if the nominated goalkeeper is genuinely injured and cannot continue.

Another common confusion involves the goalkeeper replacement rule. If a goalkeeper is sent off during the shootout, an outfield player who was on the pitch at the final whistle may take over in goal, and the team continues with one fewer outfield player in the rotation. If a goalkeeper is injured during the shootout and the team has already used its substitutes, the same rule applies: an outfield player takes the gloves.

The VAR review scope for the 2026/27 season explicitly allows VAR to review a second yellow card that resulted in a red. This means that if a player is on a yellow card and commits a second bookable offence during the shootout, VAR can review the incident and confirm the red card even though the shootout is technically a separate phase from the match. However, VAR cannot review the goalkeeper's positioning on a shootout kick because the Laws do not give VAR authority over individual penalty kicks in a shootout — only over the match events that led to the shootout.

Key takeaways

• A penalty shootout is five alternating kicks per side, then sudden death. The team that kicks first is decided by a coin toss, and only players on the pitch at the final whistle may participate.
• The 2026/27 goalkeeper injury trial means an outfield player must leave the pitch for one minute if the keeper is injured, potentially leaving the team short for the start of the shootout.
• The five-second countdown on goal kicks applies to shootout restarts, so a goalkeeper who delays a goal kick after a save risks conceding a corner.
• VAR can review a second yellow card that results in a red during the shootout, but cannot review goalkeeper positioning on individual kicks.
• The Premier League does not use shootouts for league standings. League ties are broken by goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head, and a play-off if needed.

FAQ

Can a substitute take a penalty in a shootout? No. Only players who were on the pitch at the end of the match may take a kick. A substitute who was not on the pitch cannot participate.

What happens if a goalkeeper is injured during the shootout? If the team has remaining substitutes, the goalkeeper can be replaced by a named substitute. If no substitutes remain, an outfield player who was on the pitch at the final whistle may take over in goal.

Does the team that kicks first have an advantage? The statistical record across major competitions shows the team that kicks first wins the shootout more often than the team that kicks second. The coin toss before the shootout therefore carries a structural advantage.

Can a player be sent off during a shootout? Yes. A player who commits a second bookable offence during the shootout, including by delaying the kick or by encroachment, can be shown a second yellow card and then a red card. VAR can review this under the 2026/27 rule change.