The Soccer Thread (Version 13) — Winter World Cup Edition

It’s a free throw shooting contest but other than replaying the match, it’s one of the only options. Players are usually exhausted during extra time so go longer or reducing the number of players on the field isn’t any better.

 

They used to have the Golden Goal (sudden death) for tourneys, right? I assume they dropped that after a few 300 minute matches.

 

I don’t think they ever had extra time of more than 30 minutes.

 

Free throws don't have a defender, like a goalkeeper.

 

Of course, but it isn’t a major part of the game. Most games don’t even have one. FTs are far more essential to the typical basketball game than PKs are to soccer.

 

I must be missing something. Carry on.

 

I mean, France scored two PKs just to get to the PKs. The US didn't win their first game because of a PK. There are tons of examples of how PKs significantly impact games.

You notice when a team misses like 20 free throws or there is a huge discrepancy or maybe if they happen with no time left, other than that, free throws are just, another aspect of the game?

 

In the EPL, a team averages about one penalty every 4 games. It’s a skill, but a niche one which is not a core part of the game. Because PKs are scored about 3/4 of the time, they can impact games. But remember, most teams have no more than 2 players who take them. A shootout with 5+ players who take them is a random way to decide a match.

 

Me too.

 

Games were still limited to 120 minutes, and golden/silver goal experiment was dead by 2004. As for complaints about penalties, we could always bring these back:

 

Nice to know FIFA can pull the trigger on responding to outrageious acts against humanity on occasion.

FIFA Investigating Salt Bae’s Access To Pitch Following World Cup Final

 

My high school league played shootouts this way until a few years ago when the governing body specified penalties. Now it's still up to the districts to decide whether to play to draws. But in the playoffs it's PKs.