How does a penalty shoot-out work in football?
B · Beginner · How is a goal scored, and how is a match won? · 4 of 17Each team takes five kicks, alternately, from the penalty mark. The team with more goals wins; if one team cannot be caught, it stops early. If they are level after five each, the kicks go on in pairs until one team scores and the other misses. Only players on the field at the end of the match can take part.
How it works
- A coin toss picks the goal; a second toss decides who kicks first.
- Only players on the field (or briefly off it, for example injured) at the end of the match may take part. A goalkeeper who cannot continue can be replaced.
- If one team has more players, it reduces to match the other.
- Each kick is taken by a different player, and everyone eligible must kick before anyone kicks twice.
- The kicker gets one touch. The kick ends when the ball stops, goes out or the referee stops play.
- A goalkeeper whose offence forces a retake is warned the first time and cautioned after that.
- A player sent off in the match cannot take part. Yellow cards from the match are not carried into the shoot-out.
Tricky cases
Can the goalkeeper take a penalty in the shoot-out?
Yes. Any eligible player can take a kick, including the goalkeeper.
Can a substitute come on for the shoot-out?
No, except to replace a goalkeeper who cannot continue.
The ball hit the post, then the goalkeeper's back and went in. Is it a goal?
Yes. The kick is not over until the ball stops moving or goes out of play, so a goal off the goalkeeper counts. The kicker may not touch it again.
Why did one team leave out a player before the shoot-out?
Teams must kick with equal numbers. A team with more players on the field must reduce to the same number.
Why the rule exists
It settles a match that has to have a winner without more playing time, using a skill every player has practised.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All football under the Laws | As above | L10.3 |
| 2026/27 change | No automatic caution for the kicker when kicker and goalkeeper offend together; accidental double touches clarified | Law changes 2026/27 |
From the rule book
IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 10.3, in force from 1 July 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: IFAB Laws of the Game (PDF).