How to Score Penalty Kicks (and Save Them): Tips for Football Games

A penalty shootout is football at its most dramatic: one taker, one keeper, eleven metres. In real matches about three in four penalties are scored, and the misses almost always come from the same few mistakes. These penalty kick tips work on the pitch and in football games alike.

How a shootout works

In a standard shootout, each team takes five kicks, alternating with the other team. Each kick is a one-on-one from the penalty spot: the taker against the keeper, with no rebounds. If one team cannot catch up even with all its remaining kicks, the shootout ends early. If the teams are level after five kicks each, it goes to sudden death, one kick each, until one team scores and the other misses.

That format matters for strategy. Early kicks are about steady, reliable shots; the later kicks, when one miss can decide everything, are where nerves and routines count most.

Taking the kick

Choose your corner early

Decide where you are shooting before you start your run-up and stick to it. Changing your mind at the last moment is the number-one cause of weak, central shots.

Placement beats power

A firm shot just inside the post is almost impossible to save. A thunderous shot down the middle is easy. Aim low into the corner, or high into the top corner if you trust your accuracy.

Use the low corners

Low shots are harder for a keeper to reach because diving down takes longer than diving sideways. They also rarely fly over the bar.

Mix it up

Keepers learn your habits. If you have scored twice to the left, the third kick to the right is often the safest.

Here is a simple five-kick plan that keeps a keeper guessing:

1. Kick one: your most reliable shot — low into your favourite corner.
2. Kick two: the same side again, but high. The keeper may expect the low shot.
3. Kick three: switch to the other side, low.
4. Kick four: a curled shot, starting outside the post and bending back in.
5. Kick five: whatever has worked best — trust it and strike cleanly.

The exact order matters less than avoiding a pattern the keeper can read.

Curl it when the keeper leans

Many football games let you bend the ball. A curled shot that starts outside the keeper's reach and swings back inside the post beats a keeper who guessed early.

In Spot Kick Clash, you swipe from the ball towards the goal: a faster swipe hits harder and a curved swipe bends the ball. On a keyboard, aim with the arrows, hold and release Space for power, and add curve with Q or E.

Saving as the goalkeeper

• Watch the taker's body. Players often lean or open their hips towards the side they will shoot. In Spot Kick Clash, the taker often leans the way he shoots — a useful tell.
• Don't dive too early. Committing before the kick lets a calm taker roll it the other way.
• Cover the most likely side. Under pressure, most players shoot to their natural side.
• Sometimes stay put. A calm shot down the middle beats a keeper who always dives. Staying in the centre now and then makes takers think twice.

In Spot Kick Clash you save by tapping where the ball is going, or with the arrow keys. Reading the lean before the kick gives you that extra moment to choose.

Sudden death and nerves

When a shootout goes to sudden death, the pressure rises with every kick. Keep your routine the same: pick the corner, breathe, and strike with confidence. Overthinking causes far more misses than bad technique.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Who makes it	Better habit
Changing the target during the run-up	Takers	Decide first, then commit
Blasting the ball as hard as possible	Takers	Placement first, power second
Aiming at the very top corner every time	Takers	Too much power sends it over the bar
Diving before the kick	Keepers	Wait for the tell
Always diving the same way	Keepers	Mix sides, and stay central now and then

Practise first

Before the cups, warm up in Spot Kick Clash's Target Practice: ten kicks at moving targets with bullseyes and combo multipliers. It trains exactly the accurate corner shots that win shootouts. Then pick one of eight fictional nations and climb the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Legends cups.

To win a cup you must win three shootouts in a row — the quarter-final, semi-final and final — and each cup you win unlocks a harder one. Stars reward the full game: in each round, win the shootout, miss no more than one of your kicks and make at least two saves. That last condition is a reminder that goalkeeping wins shootouts as often as shooting does.

For more ball-timing games, see our cricket batting tips or the full list of free sports games online.

FAQ

Where is the best place to kick a penalty?

Low and close to either post is the best place to kick a penalty. Low shots are hard for a goalkeeper to reach and rarely miss the target, while placement near the post matters far more than power. Pick your side before the run-up and stick to it.

How do goalkeepers guess which way to dive?

Goalkeepers watch the taker's run-up, body angle and hips, and they study a player's past penalties. Many takers lean towards the side they will shoot just before the kick. A good keeper waits for that tell instead of guessing early, because diving too soon lets a calm taker simply roll the ball into the other corner.

Is it better to shoot hard or accurately in a penalty?

Accuracy is better. A well-placed shot at moderate power beats the keeper more often than a powerful shot down the middle. Too much power also raises the risk of the ball flying over the bar, especially when you aim high. Practise placing shots first, then add power gradually.

What happens in a penalty shootout if it is a tie after five kicks?

The shootout goes to sudden death: each team takes one kick per round, and if one team scores while the other misses, the scoring team wins. If both score or both miss, another round follows. Spot Kick Clash uses the same format: five kicks each, then sudden death to settle a tie.