Soccer, or football depending on your inclination, is the game played on a pitch with two penalty areas, two goals and a centre circle. Inside both of the penalty areas, there will be a penalty spot located exactly twelve yards from the goal line. This penalty spot comes into play during the game when one of the teams is awarded a penalty kick, or after the game during a penalty shoot-out.
Taking a penalty kick is a lot like wearing a hat, you have to pick one that is right for you. Some players will smash the ball, some will place it and others will play mind games with the goalkeeper before shooting the ball. A penalty-taker must be comfortable with his technique, or he could end up with egg on his face.
To take good penalty, the player must ensure he brings a shirt-full of confidence. If the penalty-taker lacks confidence, the possibility of a negative conversion is raised. The goalkeeper, like a bear, senses the fear and will feel more confident thus feeding off the player's lack of confidence in a flip-reversal.
Technique is important to a penalty kick. The player must strike the ball cleanly and justly, whichever technique they have decided upon. Even when placing the ball, enough power to pass the goalkeeper is required so a good, clean strike is vital.
Power can be the most important part of the penalty when the player lacks the finesse to apply accuracy and skill. The distance of twelve yards between the goal and penalty spot means that a powerful penalty can pass the goalkeeper quickly, giving him little chance of moving and making the save.
The best way to take a penalty is with accuracy. One of the most successful penalty-takers in history, England's Matthew Le Tissier converted an impressive 48 out of 49 penalties during his career with only one saved by Mark Crossley. Le Tissier ensured he hit the target with power and accuracy, massively improving his chance of scoring.
Confident penalty-takers will often try new skills when striking the ball. One of the best players in history, France's Zinedine Zidane, elegantly chipped the ball onto the underside of the crossbar during a World Cup Final, scoring while sending the goalkeeper diving out of the way. Pure class.
This technique was tried by Roma's Francesco Totti during a Serie A game but was misjudged and the goalkeeper simply caught the ball. The success rate of this style relies on the taker's ability to trick the goalkeeper into diving, making them unable to shift position and save the ball.
Penalties can prove the difference between winning and losing a game as big as the World Cup Final, as shown in 2006 with France and Italy. Practise makes perfect so get out on the training field and take some penalties. The more you practise, the more accurate your penalties will become. However, nerves play a big part so have confidence in your ability and you won't pay the penalty of a costly miss.
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