Penalty Shootout Rules Explained

What Is a Penalty Shootout in Football?

A penalty shootout decides a winner after a drawn knockout match when competition rules require one. In official language, the process is “kicks from the penalty mark.” It is a tiebreaker after the match has ended, not normal scoring. The match itself is recorded as a draw before the penalty shootout rules decide who advances.

If you ask, how does a penalty shootout work, picture a series of controlled kicks from the penalty spot. The referee organises the goal, order, and eligible players. Each side gets chances to score, while the goalkeeper tries to save within strict line rules.

Under Law 10, teams normally take five kicks each, alternately. The contest can finish early if one side has already scored more than the other can reach. If the scores stay level after five each, sudden death begins.

Only eligible players can take part: players on the field at full time, or temporarily off for injury or equipment. If one team has more players, it reduces numbers to match the opponent. The kicker cannot touch the ball again, so no rebounds are allowed.

This guide follows IFAB Law 10 and The FA Law 10 for the basic procedure. Published 26 June 2026; last updated 26 June 2026. Author: football rules specialist editor for penalty kicks, extra time, goalkeeper rules, red cards, football rules, and knockout football.

When Does a Penalty Shootout Happen?

A penalty shootout happens only when a match is level after play has ended and the competition needs one winner. That is most common in a knockout match, cup tie, final, or tournament game. If the rules allow a draw, the match simply ends level.

In many competitions, teams first play normal time, then extra time where the competition rules use it. Extra time can be up to two 15-minute periods. If the score remains level after that, penalties may decide the winner. This keeps the result tied to the published format.

Law 10 also recognises other ways to separate teams after a draw. Competition rules may use away goals, extra time of up to two 15-minute periods, or penalties. The key point is that the chosen method must be set by the competition before the match.

Ordinary league matches usually do not need this procedure because a draw can be an accepted result in the competition format. Some leagues or special rounds may write different rules, but the referee follows the competition rules, not a choice made after the final whistle.

How Does a Penalty Shootout Work?

If you ask, how does a penalty shootout work, think of a controlled tie-break. The referee sets the goal, the captains learn the order, and players take kicks from the penalty mark until one team has an unbeatable lead or wins after equal attempts.

The penalty shootout rules in IFAB Law 10 and The FA Law 10 describe the official procedure as penalties, or kicks from the penalty mark. In plain English, that means separate one-shot attempts after the match is over, not normal play restarting from a foul.

1. The referee tosses a coin to choose the goal, unless safety or conditions mean another goal must be used.
2. The referee tosses again. The captain who wins that toss chooses whether their team takes the first or second kick.
3. Teams then kick alternately, known as ABAB, with one side taking a kick and then the other side taking a kick.
4. Each team gets five kicks, and each kick is taken from the penalty spot by a different eligible player.
5. The referee stops early if one team has scored more than the other can still reach with its remaining kicks.
6. If the teams are level after five kicks each, sudden death starts, with teams still taking the same number of attempts.
7. The winner is declared when one team scores and the other misses after both have taken the same number of kicks.

Beginners often search for penalty kick shootout rules, but the key difference is simple. Once the kicker plays the ball, that attempt is finished; the kicker cannot touch it again, so rebounds do not exist in this procedure.

A penalty shootout does not add goals to the match score. The game is recorded as level before the tie-break result, which only decides who advances or wins the knockout match under the competition rules.

Penalty Shootout Kick Order Explained

The kick order in a penalty shootout is simple: teams take turns. Under Law 10, the captain who wins the second coin toss chooses whether their team kicks first or second. After that choice, the order follows the standard ABAB pattern.

Format	How It Works	Current Status	Why It Matters
ABAB	Team A takes one kick, then Team B takes one kick, and they keep alternating.	Current standard under Law 10.	It gives both sides a clear, familiar turn-by-turn order.
ABBA	Team A kicks, then Team B takes two kicks, then Team A takes two, and so on.	Trialled, then discontinued after IFAB’s 133rd AGM on 22 November 2018 in Glasgow.	Based on Wikipedia’s summary, it aimed to reduce first-kicker advantage but was dropped because it was too complex.

The order does not mean every team always takes all five kicks. If Team A leads 3-0 after three rounds, Team B cannot catch up with two remaining kicks, so the kicks stop early. If neither side has an unreachable lead, the sequence continues to the fifth round.

After five kicks each, the same alternating order continues into sudden death. Each side takes one kick in the next pair. If one scores and the other misses after the same number of kicks, the winner is decided. The order stays ABAB, not ABBA.

Who Can Take a Penalty in a Shootout?

In a penalty shootout, the only normal takers under Law 10 are eligible players. That means players on the pitch when the match ends, plus players who are temporarily off for an injury or equipment issue. Players who were substitutes at that point do not join the list.

The referee also applies reduce to equate when the teams have different numbers. In plain English, the team with more eligible players removes names from its kicking pool until both teams have the same number. Those removed players cannot take kicks unless the laws allow another change.

The order is flexible. A team does not have to give the referee a written or spoken list before the first kick. The captain and players can decide the next taker as the sequence develops, as long as the next taker is still clearly eligible.

There is one key fairness rule: every eligible player on a team must take one kick before any teammate takes a second. If the kicks continue after everyone has taken one, the same rule repeats for the next round of kicks.

The goalkeeper is not just a defender in this procedure. A goalkeeper can take a kick like any other eligible player. This sometimes matters when the list reaches the later stages, because no eligible player may be skipped before someone else takes another attempt.

Goalkeeper Penalty Shootout Rules

In penalty shootout rules, the goalkeeper must start on the goal line, between the posts, and facing the ball. When the kick is taken, at least part of one foot must be touching, in line with, or behind the goal line. The keeper may move sideways, but cannot leave early or gain an unfair advantage.

A simple penalty shootout rules goalkeeper check is set, face, wait, then react. The goalkeeper may use normal movement on the line, but must not unfairly distract the kicker. Shouting, gestures, or delaying behaviour can cross that line if the referee judges them unfair.

If the goalkeeper moves early and the kick is saved or missed, the referee orders a retake. For a first offence, the goalkeeper is warned. For later offences, the goalkeeper is cautioned. If the ball still goes into the goal, the kick counts and no retake is needed.

The other goalkeeper does not stand beside the kicker. Under Law 10 procedure, that goalkeeper waits where the goal line meets the penalty area line, away from the active goal. This keeps the area clear and lets the referee manage both teams.

A goalkeeper is also an eligible player if they were on the field at the end, so they may take a kick when their turn comes. Once the kicker strikes the ball, play does not continue. There are no rebounds, even if the goalkeeper saves onto the post or bar.

These details matter because a shootout decides a winner after the match has ended. The match result is recorded as level before the kicks, so the goalkeeper’s legal starting position can decide whether a save stands or the kick is retaken.

What Is Sudden Death in Penalties?

Sudden death starts after both teams have taken five kicks and the scores are still level. In a penalty shootout, it is the tiebreak stage that keeps going until one team gains an immediate advantage.

From that point, the teams take one kick each alternately. If Team A scores and Team B misses, Team A wins. If both score, or both miss, the contest continues with another pair of kicks.

The key rule is equal chances. The shootout only ends after both sides have taken the same number of kicks in that round. That is why a single miss does not decide it unless the other team scores its matching kick.

Under Law 10, each kick must be taken by a different eligible player until everyone eligible has taken one. After that full cycle, players may kick again, and the order can change for the next round.

In plain terms, sudden death penalties are not a new set of rules. They are the same kicks from the penalty mark, but with a faster finish once the best-of-five stage has failed to separate the teams.

Penalty Kick vs Penalty Shootout

A penalty kick is part of normal play; a penalty shootout kick is a tie-breaker after the match has ended. This is the key difference in penalty shootout rules, because the shootout decides a winner without changing the match score.

Feature	In-Match Penalty Kick	Penalty Shootout Kick
Why it happens	Awarded during the match for a penalty offence.	Used when scores are level after the match and a winner is required.
Rebounds	Possible in normal play if the ball remains live.	Not allowed. The kicker cannot touch the ball again after the kick.
Statistics	A scored goal counts in the match score and normal goal totals.	Shootout goals do not count towards player or team goal totals.
Who can take it	The nominated kicker takes that single penalty kick.	Only eligible players take kicks, each before any repeat kicker.
Goalkeeper position	The goalkeeper faces the ball and stays on the goal line until kicked.	The same goal line rule applies, with unfair distraction banned.
Match clock	The clock is part of the match context.	The match has ended, so the shootout is outside timed play.

Think of a shootout kick as a stripped-down penalty from the penalty spot. The goalkeeper still has a goal line duty, but the kicker gets only one touch. If the ball hits the post, bar, or goalkeeper and comes back, play does not continue.

What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

If something goes wrong, the referee applies Law 10 and the relevant penalty-kick offences to keep the shootout fair. Most penalty shootout rules either order a retake, record the kick as missed, or adjust who remains eligible.

• Kicker feints at the end of the run-up: illegal feinting is an offence. The kick is recorded as missed, even if the ball enters the goal.
• Goalkeeper moves early: if the shot is saved or misses, the referee orders a retake. If it is scored, the goal stands.
• Goalkeeper is injured: an unable goalkeeper may be replaced only under the goalkeeper replacement exception. Do not add an extra outfield kicker.
• Player is sent off: that player takes no further part. If numbers become unequal, the team with more players reduces to equate.
• Player is not ready: kicks cannot be delayed for someone who leaves the field. If they do not return in time, their kick is missed.
• Ball bursts: if a defective ball affects the kick before it is completed, the referee stops play and orders a retake.
• Outside interference: if another person, object, or event affects the kick, the referee stops the kick. A retake is used when the interference changes the outcome.
• Team drops below seven players: the shootout is not abandoned for that reason alone. The remaining eligible players continue under the normal order.

Penalty Shootout Records and Facts

Records around a penalty shootout can be tricky because official scoring treats the match separately from the kicks. The safest facts come from Law 10 and established competition history, not from highlights that mix normal goals with kicks from the mark.

• IFAB adopted shootouts on 27 June 1970, creating a formal way to settle drawn knockout matches.
• The first FIFA World Cup shootout was West Germany 5-4 France in the 1982 semifinal.
• Shootout goals do not count towards player or team goal totals after the match.
• The match result is recorded as a draw before the shootout decision is applied.

This matters when reading records. A team may advance, lift a trophy, or lose a tie through kicks, but the underlying game still finished level. That is why reports often show the draw score first, then add the shootout score in brackets.

For fans, the useful takeaway is simple. Treat the kicks as a tie-breaker, not a fresh mini-match. They decide who goes through, while records keep normal-time and extra-time goals separate from kicks taken after the final whistle.

Penalty Shootout Rules FAQ

What are penalty shootout rules in football?

They are Law 10 procedures for deciding a drawn match when a winner is required. The official name is kicks from the penalty mark. Only eligible players take part, and the result decides the winner after the match has ended.

In simple terms, how does a penalty shootout work?

The referee tosses a coin to choose the goal, unless safety or conditions require another choice. A second coin toss lets the winning captain choose whether to kick first or second. Teams then kick alternately from the penalty spot in turn.

What happens after five kicks each?

Each team starts with five attempts, but the shootout can finish early if one side cannot be caught. If scores stay level after five each, sudden death penalties begin one kick at a time, using the same order until decided.

Can a goalkeeper take a kick?

Yes. A goalkeeper can take a kick because keepers are eligible players. For penalty shootout rules goalkeeper duties, the keeper must face the ball and have part of one foot on, level with, or behind the goal line when facing the shot.

Are penalty kick shootout rules the same as in-match penalties?

No. A penalty kick during the match can be followed by normal play if the laws allow. The penalty shootout is a tie-breaker only: the kicker cannot touch the ball again, so there are no rebounds once the attempt ends.

What if every eligible player has kicked?

A player cannot take a second kick until every eligible teammate has taken one. If all have kicked and scores remain level, the rotation can start again. If one team has more players, it reduces to match the opponent before kicking.

Keep the core sequence in mind: five kicks, ABAB alternation, different eligible players, no rebounds, and strict goalkeeper position on the line. If scores stay level, sudden death continues one kick per team. Next, review football rules for context.