Every World Cup produces at least one penalty shootout that fans remember for years, and the 2026 tournament is likely to produce several. The rules are simple in outline but full of details that affect how shootouts unfold: extra time comes first, then five kicks each, then sudden death. Knowing those details in advance makes watching a shootout far more tense, because you can see the tactical decisions as they happen rather than just waiting for the result.

Knockout games that are level after ninety minutes go to extra time: two periods of fifteen minutes, played in full regardless of whether a team scores. There is no golden goal, so a team that scores early in extra time must still defend its lead until the final whistle. If the scores are still level after extra time, the game is decided by a penalty shootout. Group games, by contrast, can end in a draw, which is why shootouts only appear once the knockout stage begins.

Each team takes five penalties, alternating one kick at a time, with the team that wins the coin toss choosing whether to kick first or second. If the scores are level after five kicks each, the shootout moves to sudden death: each team takes one kick at a time, and the first team to score while the other misses wins. Once all eleven players on the pitch have taken a kick, the order can start again, and goalkeepers take kicks too if the shootout goes that far. A player who was sent off during the game cannot take part, and a team that finished with fewer players has its number of kick-takers reduced to match.

The goalkeeper must remain on the goal line until the ball is kicked, although they may move sideways along the line and are allowed to move their arms and body to distract the taker. If a goalkeeper comes off the line early and saves the kick, the penalty is retaken and the goalkeeper is warned. Kickers must place the ball on the spot and wait for the referee's signal, and they may not stop completely in their run-up once they have started, although a stuttering run is permitted. These details are why shootouts sometimes feature retakes and arguments: the margins are tiny and the officials watch the goalkeeper's feet closely.

Statisticians have long debated whether kicking first in a shootout is an advantage, and the evidence suggests a small edge for the team that kicks first, because the team kicking second is more often chasing the score. Managers, however, cannot control everything: the coin toss decides who chooses, and some captains prefer to kick second to let their goalkeeper set the tone with an early save. In practice, the biggest factor is composure. Teams that practise shootouts regularly, pick their five takers in advance, and keep their order flexible for sudden death tend to cope better than teams that decide on the spot. When the next World Cup shootout arrives, watch the order of takers and the goalkeeper's positioning: they tell you how much planning went into the moment.

The difference between teams that win shootouts and teams that lose them is rarely technique alone; it is preparation under pressure. Coaches who take shootouts seriously rehearse them in training with noise, fatigue and consequences, so that players have already experienced something like the real thing before they walk to the spot. They also study opposition goalkeepers, noting which way they tend to dive and how they behave before a kick, and they brief their own goalkeeper on each opponent's habits. That preparation does not guarantee success, because pressure affects even the best players, but it does mean fewer surprises. When a shootout begins, watch which team looks calm and organised and which looks like it is deciding everything on the spot. More often than not, the calmer team is the one that prepared.