Sports Scientific Consideration of Soccer Penalty Kicks

Soccer is a popular sport that has the largest number of fans throughout the world to
the extent that the number of member countries of the Fédération Internationale de
Football Association has reached 204 (as of 2014) and is one of national sports
frequently played by numerous players and club members. The present study was
conducted to help soccer related persons make more accurate and efficient penalty kicks
by investigating and generalizing the data on variables that affect major kinesiological
factors of penalty kicks. The conclusions obtained through previous studies are as
follows. Information on run-ups provides clues to determine the kicking methods of the
players that make penalty kicks and ball directions and can enable the goalkeeper to
predict the timing and direction of balls. The kicker’s supporting foot was closed so that
the outside of the foot is seen when seen from the viewpoint of the goalkeeper in most
cases. When the pelvis is tilted rightward, the probability for the ball to go leftward is
high and the opposite is the same as well. Shoulder angles are helpful for the prediction
of ball directions in advance because ball directions can be predicted at the moment when
the kicking foot reached the highest height already before the moment of kicking through
shoulder tilt angles. It can be seen that kickers generally make penalty kicks with the
trunk a little tilted.