Penalties are awarded in soccer (association football) when a player from one team is unfairly stopped (i.e. Is pushed over, pulled back, brought down unfairly etc) from having a clear goal scoring opportunity by the rival team in their own penalty area. The team who were fouled are awarded a shot on goal, one-on-one, with the goalkeeper. In certain games, if a winner cannot be decided after normal/extra time has concluded a penalty shootout will take place. The goalkeepers task is to ensure that the opposing team doesn't score the penalty.
Steps
- 1Make sure you remember that in normal and extra time penalties can be rebounded into the net after you've saved them. If possible during this period try to push the shot away from the penalty area and the lurking members of the opposing team, ideally you will be able to push the ball away towards either your left or right side, resulting in a corner. Better yet, catch the ball if at all possible.
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www.actionsports-international.com - 2Notice the simple things. See how the penalty taker places the ball, is it leaning towards a certain angle?, did he glance in that one direction for a bit too long?. Little hints like this give away which way the penalty will be taken.
- 3Never dive before the shot is taken. Many players will jerk before hitting the ball, trying to trick you. When you have decided where to dive, simply be ready to go that direction, or take a step to the direction (make this step very subtle, or try to disguise it any way you can). Right as the foot strikes the ball, dive to your desired side.
- 4Try to cover as much ground as you can. If you're diving to the right you must fully commit yourself in that direction to prevent the shot sneaking in.
- 5Attempt to dive out of goal in the direction you have chosen, as this cuts the angle of the kick, making you bigger.
- 6note: You can also look at the plant foot of the player. Players always go in the direction of their plant foot (if they don't then they'll shank it) ;). This will probably only work for younger players around U15 and younger.
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Tips
- Intimidation is the key. Play to your strengths, if you're a large and intimidating figure stand tall, make yourself look big and spread your arms out wide to make the goal appear small. If you're of a smaller frame attempt to put your opponent off with a strange sort of dance or making your legs appear as if they are unsteady and you're about to lose your balance as the great Liverpool goalkeepers Jerzey Dudek and Bruce Grobblaar did during the 2005 and 1984 European Cup finals, these actions will distract the penalty taker and make him lose focus, usually blazing the resulting kick wide. As long as you stay on your line anything you do on the line is legal (within reason).
- When reaching for the penalty kick use both hands. Pulling off a successful one handed save may look nice, but it's riskier than using both.
- Exploit the Penalty takers weakness. If they're looking nervous, chances are their kicks will either go wide or be very weak, prey on this, make them even more nervous. If the kick taker looks overconfident this too can be used to your advantage as they will probably attempt a more advanced technique, such as attempting to lift the ball over the Goalkeepers body. These techniques while looking nice are much easier to save.
- Remember, the pressure is on them. It is humiliating to miss a penalty kick, whereas it is not to fail to save one.
- Notice which foot the kicker kicks with. If he is right footed, he will most likely send the ball to his left, or the keepers right. If you are comfortable with this, stand a little to your right if he is right footed, and left if he is left footed. This will intimidate and confuse him, because he thinks you are predicting his shot. If he decides to shoot it to the right, it will be a more powerful shot, but you are already standing there, which will make it easier to save the penalty. If he decides to try and shoot to the wider portion, left side, of the goal, it will be a weaker and easier shot to save. Some keepers have used this technique to great effect during penalties and also when the game results in a tie and the game enters sudden death penalty kick shootouts.
Source : www.wikihow.com
