The secret to perfect penalty

The best option for a penalty player is to aim for a point and then kick in, while considering that the goalkeeper does not exist.

A perfect shot must be shot high, aiming precisely to the right or left side of the goalkeeper and reaching a speed of 90 - 104 km / hour.Photo: theducket.com.

In football, there are few special moments such as penalty kicks. Glory or failing at this decisive moment. The first penalty was done 119 years ago. So far, it still has a bigger decisive role in tournaments, including World Cup finals.

As the importance of the penalty increases, the scientific community is also involved. Scientists regard this as a duel between a free-kick player and a goalkeeper when both psychological and physical strength play an important role.

According to AFP, a penalty study under John Moores University's mathematical perspective in Liverpool, he denies the notion that penalty shootouts are a gamble.

Research shows that a perfect shot must be shot high, aiming precisely to the right or left side of the goalkeeper and reaching a speed of 90 - 104 km / hour. Any faster shot can increase the risk of failure because of a lack of accuracy. The slower shots the goalkeeper can block.

After observing dozens of international ball matches, the researchers said that moving quickly to penalize a penalty (less than 3 seconds after the whistle) will help the free-kicker create more surprises. Conversely, if the player hesitates for more than 13 seconds after the whistle, he will help the goalkeeper with a chance to move. Waiting for the goalkeeper to move, even for just over 0.14 seconds, also reduces the chance of a goal.

With one run of 4 - 6 steps, the probability of success is the highest, while the chances of scoring when running to 10 m are the lowest.

The statistics show that the ability to score goals in penalties depends mainly on the kicker, since only 2/3 to 3/4 of the shots become a goal.

These numbers bring the psychological advantage to the goalkeeper. If the penalty kick is successful, people will pat him on the shoulder and say it's just bad luck. If the goalkeeper saves the shot, he will be praised.

The psychology of the penalty player is very important. A team of experts from the University of Exeter, England, asked the school football team members to wear special glasses to record eye movements while performing two penalty kicks.

In the first series, players are required to do their best to score. In the second series, they were told the results will be recorded and shared with other players with a prize of £ 50 for the best player.

The team found that the more anxious the player was, the more focused he was on the goalkeeper's central position. Because the eye direction and direction are closely related, the free kick will also focus on the center, so they are more easily prevented.

'The optimal option for a penalty player is to aim for a point and kick in, and consider the goalkeeper not to exist , ' said Greg Wood, the team leader.

Hip posture and shirt color are also remarkable. To successfully block the ball, the goalkeeper advised watching the player's hips kick off the penalty when finishing the momentum. That will help the goalkeeper determine where the ball will be shot. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, China, said that if the goalkeeper just moved out of the center position 6-10 cm, the space he created was big enough for the player to kick the ball into.

Even the color of the shirt is important for the person who holds the goal. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech likes bright orange striped shirt because he believes it will attract opponents and make them tend to hit straight on him.

This belief is reinforced by the research of sports psychologists at the Chichester University, England. In a week, they asked 40 players to shoot dozens of penalties on a goalkeeper. The man who kept the frame kept changing his shirt. When the goalkeeper wears a red shirt, only 54% of the goals are scored. The percentage of net with yellow shirt is 69%, blue is 72%, and green is 75%.

The reason is that red is associated with danger, prestige or anger. In theory, when we feel stressed, we focus more on this color, so there is a tendency to go straight to it.