Goalkeeper v shooter
An analysis based on a sample of 286 kicks from various men’s professional leagues worldwide compared the shot direction of the penalty-taker and the direction the goalkeeper moved in
Keeper direction
Goalkeepers rarely stayed in the centre (6.3%) with most preferring to jump left (44.4%) or right (49.3%)
Shot direction
The percentage of penalty shots that went to the left (39.2%), right (32.2%) or centre (28.7%)
20%
40%
20%
40%
Guardian graphic | Source: Bar-Eli and Azar 2009, Journal of Soccer and Society; Bar-Eli et al. 2007, Journal of Economic Psychology
Goalkeeper v shooter
An analysis based on a sample of 286 kicks from various men’s professional leagues worldwide compared the shot direction of the penalty-taker and the direction the goalkeeper moved in
Keeper direction
Even though almost a third of penalties went down the middle, goalkeepers rarely stayed in the centre (6.3%) with most preferring to jump left (44.4%) or right (49.3%)
Shot direction
The percentage of penalty shots that went to the left (39.2%), right (32.2%) or centre (28.7%) of goals was fairly even, with a slight bias towards the left.
20%
40%
20%
40%
Guardian graphic | Source: Bar-Eli and Azar 2009, Journal of Soccer and Society; Bar-Eli et al. 2007, Journal of Economic Psychology
Goalkeeper v shooter
An analysis based on a sample of 286 kicks from various men’s professional leagues worldwide compared the shot direction of the penalty-taker and the direction the goalkeeper moved in
Keeper direction
Even though almost a third of penalties went down the middle, goalkeepers rarely stayed in the centre (6.3%) with most preferring to jump left (44.4%) or right (49.3%)
Shot direction
The percentage of penalty shots that went to the left (39.2%), right (32.2%) or centre (28.7%) of goals was fairly even, with a slight bias towards the left.
40%
30%
30%
40%
10%
20%
20%
10%
Guardian graphic | Source: Bar-Eli and Azar 2009, Journal of Soccer and Society; Bar-Eli et al. 2007, Journal of Economic Psychology
Goalkeeper v shooter
An analysis based on a sample of 286 kicks from various men’s professional leagues worldwide compared the shot direction of the penalty-taker and the direction the goalkeeper moved in
Keeper direction
Even though almost a third of penalties went down the middle, goalkeepers rarely stayed in the centre (6.3%) with most preferring to jump left (44.4%) or right (49.3%)
Shot direction
The percentage of penalty shots that went to the left (39.2%), right (32.2%) or centre (28.7%) of goals was fairly even, with a slight bias towards the left.
40%
30%
20%
20%
40%
10%
10%
30%
Guardian graphic | Source: Bar-Eli and Azar 2009, Journal of Soccer and Society; Bar-Eli et al. 2007, Journal of Economic Psychology