Here are some Great Tips for players and coaches who are facing a PK shoot-out - especially in view of Portugal's recent defeat vs Spain in the Euro 2012 championship semi-final, England's defeat vs Italy, and Bayern Munich's loss to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League 2012. How to focus and stay calm under pressure. Practical advice that will give your team a huge edge.

1. Great Tips for Players and Coaches Who Face a Penalty Kick Shoot-Out
By Rich Wiegand of www.ProSoccerTactics.com
Here are some Great Tips for Coaches and players who facing a PK shoot-out - especially in
view of Portugal's recent defeat vs Spain in the Euro 2012 championship semi-final, England's
defeat vs Italy, and Bayern Munich's loss to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League 2012.
Spain taking PKs vs Portugal at the Euro 2012
PK shoot-outs are nerve-racking experiences. But keep in mind that both teams had a chance
to put the game away during regulation time - and failed to do that. If your team was not the
better team during regulation and extra time - then look on bright side, your team really has
nothing to lose by taking PKs. This can take alot of pressure off the "weaker" team. If your team
was the better team during the game, then the message you should be telling your players is that
it is time that we prove that we are the better team, and we will because we worked hard, we
practiced shooting PKs and we will win by taking a flawless series of PKs.
If you win the coin toss for which end of the field - choose the side with the least divots,
dryest, where the field is most even etc. You don't want to take penalties on an un-even,
soggy, or chewed up part of the pitch.
If you win the coin toss for which team shoots first - you should choose to shoot first -
studies show that 60% of teams that shoot first end up winning the PK shoot-out
Choosing your first 5 shooters - make sure your best shooters shoot first, and in that order (not
first,
like Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo who was last of the 5 to shoot and didn't end up shooting a
single penalty). Imagine, one of Europe's best footballers didn't even get to take a PK for his
country in the end because the coach placed him as Portugal's 5th shooter! That's a huge
mistake on the part of the Portugal's coach Paolo Bento.
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Should you ask your players if they want to volunteer to shoot, or should the coach make
the selections? I don't believe a coach should let the players decide who shoots based on their
players
feelings at that given moment. This is because shooting ability and confidence levels are 2
very different things.
My advice is that the coach should make the selections and should have already created a
list of his top 5-7 shooters, based on practice drills as well as actual game experience with
his players. There is no better data to base your decision than actual game experience (track

2. record). Also, a good idea is to have your captain shoot first - because that player is usually
one of your most skilled players and has the most experience. Captains are also team leaders,
and take it upon themselves to lead their squad during challenging times like PK shoot-outs.
As a coach I typically want my strongest (i.e. hardest) shooters to take PKs - not necessarily
the most accurate shooters. I prefer pace and accuracy to just accuracy alone. The ultimate
traits I look for in PK shooters are: power, placement, confidence (low anxiety), and focus.
Tips for PK Shooting/Execution
Encourage your players to take at least 4-5 steps behind the ball. Short run-ups typically mean
soft shots, which are much easier for GKs to save.
Discourage your players from taking stutter steps, as Schweinsteiger did against Chelsea when
he missed.
I also personally don't care for cheeky PKs, like chipping the ball softly toward the center of the
goal (making the GK look like a fool). I encourage my players to go with a controlled
(accurate) power shot. Up the middle is fine, if you have noticed by the 3rd shot or so that the
GK is guessing directions (as opposed to waiting to react to the shooter). Since most great PK
killing GKs react to the shooter, against these types I would strongly discourage shooting up the
middle.
While some shooters like shooting high, the priority should be first corner placement, then
height, not the other way around. I tend to favor PK shooters who can shoot the ball hard
and low.
The coach should never change the order of his shooters mid-stream (as Portugal did in the
case of Alves and Nani) and make sure that his players clearly understand the shooting order - by
lining them up in order at the center circle. My guess is that Alves may have missed his PK vs
Spain because he was distracted by the change in the shooting order, when Nani stepped in
before him after having already walked to PK spot from the center circle. Either he was not clear
on who should shoot next for Portugal or the coach botched the shooting order and changed his
mind at the last minute. Either way, this is a significant coaching error because your players
should be clear about the shooting order from the start of the PK shoot-out.
Portugal's Alves Misses PK vs Spain Euro 2012

3. Pre-PK Coach’s Reminders
Finally, when your players take a PK, tell them to:
- be confident as you walk up to the penalty spot. Know that you worked hard to get to this
point, and that you've practiced shooting these things many, many times. It's simply another
opportunity to execute the plan to the best of your ability. No one can ask for more than
that.
- set the ball themselves (out of divots, preferably on flat or a tuft of grass)
- take at least 4-5 steps of a run-up (for power and momentum), as we said earlier
- pick your corner and never change this decision mid-kick
- visualize yourself executing your PK flawlessly, striking an exact part of the ball, following
through, picturing the ball entering the net, and then celebrating
- try to clear out as much external noise and distraction as possible - clear your mind and
focus only on the job at hand - this means actually looking at the ball (focusing on the exact
part of the ball that should be struck). This was Paul Breitner's secret when he took the PK
against Holland in 1974, to tie the game 1-1 in the first half. He once said that after deciding on
where he wants to place the ball, he focuses on the part of the ball that he needs to strike and
that he simply follows through. Concentration is key.
Paul Breitner PK vs Holland World Cup 1974