Penalty Shoot-Outs: How To Be Sure Of Scoring
Penalty shots are a time-honoured sporting tradition. During the shootout, the referee will give both teams five penalties each to shoot at the opposing goal. Then, after every team has taken a shot, games would be decided by who scores the first goal and who doesn't.
The rules state that the goalkeeper has to stay inside the goal box and on or above the goal line until a penalty shot has been taken. Once the ball is kicked, he may move off his line, but only once all of the shots have been taken.
Although this rule is routinely flouted – it's rare to see a goalkeeper stay put as players from both teams must pass him on their way to take a shot – it doesn't excuse any infringement of this law.
This is why you'll often see referees stopping penalties in order for players to comply with this rule.
Penalties are also used as a chance to showcase the best goals from NHL and AHL games. In overtime or shootouts, players never have to try for two in a row and are always allowed to put the puck in the net again.
However, these rules do not apply to penalty shots at the beginning of periods or periods of overtime. In those instances, you'll see goalkeepers playing for one last draw so that either team has one chance to score – since both teams have already had five shots each in regulation time.
In this piece, we will explain how penalty shots are conducted, as well as how you can go about securing your place at the end of a penalty shootout and guaranteeing yourself a coveted spot on the scoresheet.
So what should you look for when you're taking a penalty shot? Well, there is some leeway in this situation. For example, the most important thing is that the goalkeeper does not move off his line – this will allow you to be sure of scoring first. You also have to have taken a shot on goal – if you don't score from centre ice, or even shoot wide of the cage and then rebound off the goalpost and in, then it's all good.
If you take a weak stretch between the posts and put your shot on net, though, it won't matter how hard or accurate I make my effort.
You also have to make sure that the goalkeeper is ready to catch your shot on his glove. This will ensure that you'll score at the very least, and possibly score multiple times as well.
Here's what you should be looking for:
* Players who are in perfect position to shoot
* The goalie's glove raised above his head or out of the goal
* The goalie facing your direction
* A player not in perfect position to shoot and not on their feet ready to take a shot
There are exceptions to this, though. If a goal from centre ice is scored, the spot where it went in is fair game for a second attempt – but we'll talk about what this means later. Also, if a team gets a penalty shot during its own powerplay, that team can each have another shot on goal.
However, there are no exceptions to the five-shot limit. Once all five players have had their go at the goalie, it's over – no more attempts can be made. But what if it's a game of sudden death and penalties are still going on?
Well, players who were fouled in the penalty box during an opposing power play can also get shots at the goal after their penalty is up. What this means is that you could see six penalty shots taken in any given shootout – but it's not common to see more than five shots taken in total.
However, once goals are scored at the end of a five-shot shootout, the game is over and a new one has to be played. It is at this point that players score two in a row.
At the beginning of regulation time, penalty shots are taken by the team that was shorthanded when the penalty was called against it. Using our example from above, if Team X got into penalty trouble in the middle of its own power play and took five shots on goal while players were still in the penalty box, Team Y would get to take two more penalties after their own have expired.
If Team Y ends up scoring on all 10 of these shots, then they win without having to take any penalties themselves. If, however, Team Y doesn't score on any of its 10 penalty shots, then Team X gets to have their players in the penalty box shoot as well.
So what does it all mean? Well, it means that you need to make sure that the goaltender is committed to achieving a good count of goals.
In an ideal world, I would have a goalkeeper who had already let 99 shots past him in normal time and was ready to get a nice 101st – one that was so far away from the goal post that it didn't matter how hard I put my shot on net. But alas, that's not life. It's not even hockey.
The reality is that goalies are human, and make mistakes. It's important for you to be aware of this, so that you can take advantage of those errors.
But how do you know what a goalkeeper will tend to do in a situation like this? Just like any other part of the sport, it's all about experience. The older the goaltender becomes, the more likely he or she is to make mistakes with their positioning – especially if they're not used to being rattled by penalties.
If you feel comfortable as a shooter in your overall game – but are unsure about whether or not your goalie will make these types of mistakes – then you can try "footering".
This is where you go through the motions of shooting, but don't actually shoot. This will allow you to gauge how the goaltender reacts to shots without actually putting your stick on net.
This is especially important if you're taking a penalty shot in your own zone – remember, the goaltenders don't face much pressure during this kind of situation!
If you're going through the motions and then getting taken out by a player basically trying to bump you off your line, it's because they've anticipated that you won't be able to carry out this plan successfully.
Conclusion
So there you go – if you want to know how to take a penalty shot correctly, then you need to find out what the goalie is thinking about most. If he or she is looking at the shooter and ready to react, then strike – that's how you score. And remember, never put your shot on net from center ice. Score from a bit closer though? Then let that puck fly!
Remember, it's not just the goaltender who can influence your penalty shot – the referee can too. If they feel like they're unable to tell if it was a penalty or not, they just might call the play back and give both teams another chance at it.