Following a penalty shoot-out: when is the result actually decided?
Track goals and attempts separately with two worked examples. Learn why a shoot-out may finish early and why a visible lead does not always settle the result.
Count attempts as well as goals
A shoot-out is a method of deciding a winner. To follow it on screen, note both each team's goals and how many kicks it has taken. A goal total alone does not tell you whether the contest is over.
IFAB Law 10 allows the initial series to finish before five kicks each when the trailing team can no longer catch up. After a tie at five kicks each, compare the scores after equal numbers of further attempts.
Two hypothetical examples
- Team A has scored 3 from 3 kicks; Team B has scored 0 from 3. B has only 2 kicks left in its initial five. Even scoring both would produce 2, below A's 3. The initial series is already decided.
- Team A has scored 3 from 4 kicks; Team B has scored 1 from 3. B still has 2 kicks left in its initial five and could reach 3. Do not call the series over just because the visible score is 3–1. A also has a kick remaining.
These are arithmetic examples, not descriptions of actual matches. Write “goals / kicks taken” next to each team so that the different totals remain visible.
A viewing checklist for the next attempt
- Identify which team is taking the kick; do not assume the graphic's left side always shoots first.
- Wait for the official outcome before marking that attempt as scored or missed.
- Record the result once. A slow-motion replay is not another attempt.
- Compare your note with the broadcast's updated tally before calculating what remains.
If the officials order a retake, wait for the corrected outcome rather than treating every run-up shown as another completed attempt. Check the complete rule for unusual incidents. When watching edited highlights, mark missing attempts as unknown; do not invent the sequence from the final score.
Rewatch with a simple tally
Pleymeikel offers replays when a completed event's recording is published. Check the title you intend to watch; this article does not promise a particular tournament. If a full sequence is available, compare your tally with the final broadcast result. Keep the match score and the shoot-out tally in separately labeled fields.