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Penalty Shootout
If a match in a knockout tournament ends level after 90 minutes it will then move into extra time in most cases (some competitions like the English League Cup now go straight to a penalty shootout). This notches up the drama and anxiousness for fans, especially at big tournaments like the World Cup, Euros, or AFCON. Extra Time is made up of two 15-minute periods. If the tie is still level after that, a penalty shootout takes place.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, FIFA introduced the Golden Goal, first goal wins in extra time. Instead of making games more dramatic, most teams sat back in a low block and played for penalties. They then introduced the Silver Goal rule, where if a team scored in the first half of extra time the game didn’t end immediately, but at half time if the score remained the same. There was only one Silver Goal scored; Greece beating Czech Republic at Euro 2004.
If a knock-out tournament match is level after 90 minutes it will then move on to extra time and penalties if still no winner can be found. Each team has 5 chances to score from a penalty kick, taking it in turns, the team that scores the most goals wins. The pressure builds as you reach the end of the 5 kicks. If it is level after 5 kicks each, sudden death begins. A penalty shootout could go on forever in theory, with every player taking a kick, including goalkeepers, until one team scores and the other misses. In big games like the World Cup, there is nothing quite like the intensity of a penalty shootout!
In the 2022 English League Cup Final at Wembley, Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10. Every player on both sides scored their penalty, so it came down to both keepers. Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher scored the winning spot kick after Kepa Arrizabalaga missed for Chelsea. Drama!