In Defense of the Penalty Shootout Plan

By: Bob | March 15th, 2007

If I were a negotiator trying to bring peace to the Middle East the first thing I would do when I sat down with both parties is to point out areas where they are in agreement. One subject that almost everyone agrees upon is the notion that deciding football matches through penalty shootouts is a bad, bad thing. The mere mention of such a concept taking place in the English football league has players, fans, coaches and pundits alternatively laughing hysterically and frothing at the mouth.

The only one who seems to like the idea is Lord Brian Mawhinney, the head of the football league who has said, “I have suggested that for drawn matches each team gets a point and the team that wins a penalty shootout gets an extra one. Managers may hate shootouts but fans love them.”

Based on the fan reactions I have seen on my travels around the Web today I am not sure how Mawhinney could come up with the conclusion that fans love penalty shootouts. Most people seem to think the idea is a joke and that draws are part of the game. The same reaction was seen years ago in Major League Soccer. Fans didn’t like the shootouts and the league wisely abandoned them.

Since I have come across no compelling arguments in favor of Mawhinney’s proposal, I have decided to hold my nose and not breathe in the stink while trying to make the case for why penalty shootouts would be a good addition to the sport.

1. They are exciting – Even if you are a critic of them you can’t deny that they often make for great drama. If you have ever seen your team lineup to take penalties during the World Cup and other international competitions you know that they get the blood pumping. The same level of excitement wouldn’t necessarily be felt each week during a league season, but imagine what it would be like if your team’s promotion or relegation hopes came down to a penalty shootout. It would be thrilling and sickening.

2. Draws are unsatisfying – You watch your team battle it out for 90 minutes and in the end neither team is a winner. How exciting is that? Sure there are draws that can be thrilling, but on any given week there are games that end up tied that leave you wishing they could have just declared a draw before they played it to save you from the 90 minutes of boredom you just experienced. At least shootouts would offer a definitive winner and loser, and a moment of drama in a drama-less game.

3. Teams might be encouraged to play to win - This one is a tough reason to argue since the proposal would still reward teams for a draw, but imagine if you were a manager that knew your team was inferior in penalties. Or if you were playing a team that had an amazing keeper who was a beast at penalties. Or if you were playing in a match were you couldn’t afford to lose a point to your opponent. You might attack more and go for a win instead of playing conservatively for a draw.

4. Great practice for international competitions – England’s track record hasn’t been the best when it comes to spot kicks in international competitions. If they are emphasized in league play and young players spend sufficient time practicing them it could help the national team.

5. It would keep scientists employed – Every geeky scientist loves an excuse to watch football and studying the science of penalty shots is one of the favored subjects of the scientific community.

Ok, I am struggling to make a compelling case here. Are there any other ways this could be good for the game?