Penalty Kick

Beginnerset-pieces

Place the ball, step back, pick your spot, deep breath.

Pick your spot, short run-up, and hit through the ball with conviction. Confidence beats power.

Key points

•Decide your spot before you start
•Short, controlled run-up
•Plant foot alongside the ball
•Hit through the ball — don't change your mind

Practice with Coach Diego

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The penalty kick is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. Decide where you're putting the ball before you place it on the spot — and commit. A short run-up of 3-4 steps is plenty; a longer run adds nothing but nerves. Approach the ball with purpose and plant your standing foot alongside it, roughly 15 cm away and pointing toward your target. Strike cleanly through the middle of the ball with your laces for power or the inside of the foot for placement. The most important rule: never change your mind mid-run. A well-placed penalty at 70% power is unsavable. A panicked blast at 100% usually isn't.

Fun Fact

Statistically, the bottom-left corner (for a right-footed player) is the hardest spot for a goalkeeper to save — keepers only stop penalties there about 12% of the time. Yet most players aim for the right side!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.