Penalty Kick

Know the rules before you step up. Place the ball so part of it touches or overhangs the centre of the penalty mark. You must kick it forward. You may feint during your run-up, but stopping to feint once the run-up is complete gets you cautioned and gives the defence an indirect free kick. You can't touch the ball again until another player has.

you know exactly what's allowed, so nothing surprises you.

Pick your strategy in advance. Most takers in World Cup and European Championship shoot-outs choose their spot beforehand and ignore the keeper (keeper-independent). Waiting to react to the keeper (keeper-dependent) is the advanced option: in a field test, the later the direction changed, the more shots went wide or to the wrong side. Unless you have trained it, choose a spot and keep it.

decision made before you place the ball.

Choose a spot inside the post, away from where the keeper stands. Keepers usually dive to one side, and often start moving before you strike. Shots that drift toward the middle end up within the keeper's reach.

Take your time after the whistle. In international shoot-outs, players who set off within about 0.2 s of the whistle scored less often than those who waited more than a second. That's an association, not proof, but there's no reason to rush. Take a breath, look at your spot, then go.

you start the run-up when you're ready, not when the whistle goes.

Use your normal run-up angle. In one study, forcing recreational players to approach at 30°, 45° or 60° didn't make penalties more accurate or faster than their own natural angle.

the same run-up you use in training.

Plant your standing foot alongside the ball, about 6 inches away, toes pointing at your target, knee slightly bent. Plant foot and hips aim the shot.

balanced on the standing leg, toes at your corner.

For placement, use the inside of your foot. Hips face the target. Strike the middle of the ball at its equator with your arch, toes slightly up. Follow through with your foot flat to the target and your knee coming up.

a firm, controlled push into your spot.

For pace, use your laces. Lock your ankle with your toes pointed down. Get your knee and chest over the ball. Strike through the centre, and land forward on your kicking foot.

over the ball, not leaning back.

Know the trade-off. Side-foot kicks are usually more accurate, and slower side-foot kicks were the hardest to read early in one study. A fast laces kick gives a late-diving keeper less time but costs accuracy. Pick the technique you can place reliably, and keep your head steady until the ball has gone.