The Strategy Behind Penalties

[Val1]

What is the conventional wisdom regarding the strategy of order of penalty takers?

You've got five penalties coming up. What's the lineup? Do you have your best PK taker first and second-best second, third-best subsequent and so forth down the line? Or do you want your best guy going fourth because that's the point when one team might have missed one and it could be all over if you miss the fourth? Or is your best guy cleanup in the number 5 slot?

Or, is there no real thought on this because penalties happen so infrequently anyway?

[junjunforever]

i think conventional wisdom is that the 2nd best player kicks the ball first, then have the best or most experienced player kick the fifth penalty.

However, using mathematic statistics, i think its better to have the best player go first, second best go second and so on. A team has better chance to win if they miss the last penalty rather than the first one.

[_Wheels_]

I think you usually see a veteran player (maybe even the captain) go first. Someone who you would expect not to be overwhelmed by the pressure of the first kick. The second and third guys can ride the confidence of that (hopefully) made first penalty, then have your best guys at 4-5. Every coach's thoughts on the matter probably differ, though.

[RichardL]

Unless your an England manager, in which case you pack "the five" with at least a couple of players who've never taken a penalty in their lives and have to take in oxygen to cope with being that high up the field.

It's also important to never practise penalties in training as you won't be able to re-create the tension of a real match, unlike every single other aspect of training where the pressure is "clearly" identical.

[0-Point]

unlike every single other aspect of training where the pressure is "clearly" identical.

Em, will Chelsea b able 2 recreate the tension of their second leg against Barca in training?...NOPE. :)

The ultimate aim of the penalty taker is 2 stuff the ball in the lobster pot!

[Milos]

My strategy for penalties is to have the kickers in this order


1.David Beckham
2.Gareth Southgate
3.David Batty
4.Paul Ince
5.Stuart Pearce


You cannot fail with dem' player.

[fatdanny99]

I thought Captains go first?