As an outsider, watching penalties seems like an easy task for any player. The ball is placed 11 meters from the wide goal (7.32m x 2.44m), in front of only the goalkeeper who is not allowed to leave the goal line before the opponent touches the ball. But why do top stars still miss? Sports science and behavioral psychology can answer.
In terms of science, a penalty shot considered "perfect" mechanically must reach a speed of 90 - 104km/h and be straight into dead corners (high angles or close to the post). At this speed, the ball only takes about 0.4 seconds to fly into the net. Meanwhile, the goalkeeper needs 0.1 seconds for the brain to process images and more than 0.3 seconds to react. In theory, if the player shoots strongly and dangerously, the goalkeeper has absolutely no chance to save.
However, the problem is still pressure. Statistics show that many players choose the safe solution of shooting inside with medium force (speed 40 - 75km/h) into mid range on both sides of the post. This is the "opportunity zone" for goalkeepers. More interestingly, studies by economist Ignacio Palacios-Huerta show that shooting into the center of the goal has a success rate of up to 88%. The reason is that goalkeepers almost always proactively dive instinctively. However, actual data recorded that this is the area that is least targeted by players. Because if shooting into the middle without the goalkeeper jumping, the shot will look extremely silly.
Penalty is a brain-straining game. A study by Chichester University (UK) shows that even the goalkeeper's jersey color affects the shooter. When the goalkeeper wears a red jersey - a color that stimulates a sense of danger and unconscious pressure - the scoring rate of players decreases to only 54% compared to more than 70% in other colors.
Reaction time is another impact. Professor Geir Jordet (Norway) through video analysis has pointed out that players who rush to shoot immediately after the referee blows the whistle often have a very high rate of misses. 11 meters, looks close but may also be very far...
