Penalty Shootout: shoot with a flick, by the official rules

About Penalty Shootout

This is a real penalty shootout in 3D, built to regulation: an 8-by-24-foot goal, a penalty mark 12 yards out, and a size 5 ball weighing 15 ounces. The shootout is played at Farol Stadium, Podium Bay's home field, with fans in all four stands. Air and spin shape the ball's flight: a curler bends into the corner, a dipper rises and then drops suddenly, a chip floats over a diving keeper, and the net bulges when the ball goes in. When it's your turn to shoot, pick a shot type and flick your finger or the mouse from the ball to the spot you're aiming for: where the flick ends is your target, and its speed is your power. There's no aiming reticle, and the harder you hit it and the more the kick matters, the more likely you are to miss. When Aurum shoots, you're Diego, Podium Bay's keeper: before the kick, drag to where you want to dive, and you'll go as the ball is struck, just like the Octopus; pick after the kick and you'll usually be late. Aurum's keeper is Yaw Boakye, “the Octopus,” and he has more than one trick: sometimes he guesses a corner, sometimes he waits for the ball, sometimes he fakes one way or steps to one side as bait. He also takes notes on your habits, so if you keep going to the same corner, trying the chip, or blasting it down the middle, he'll gradually catch on. You can face him at three levels: Friendly (normal), Competitive (hard), and The Final (very hard), which unlocks when you win on Competitive. The referee enforces the IFAB rules: it's only a goal when the whole ball crosses the line, and the shootout is five kicks each, ends early when one side can't catch up, and goes to sudden death if it's tied. Every kick gets a slow-motion replay from the TV camera. Play a friend by link, each on your own device: every choice is made blind and at the same time — the shooter takes the kick, and the keeper picks a corner and a height or stays in the middle — and you both see the same kick. Anyone can watch, and rematches are unlimited.

In Selminha's words

“A penalty is the simplest and most nerve-racking moment in soccer: a ball on the spot, 12 yards, and a keeper. I wanted a shootout where you shoot with your finger, with no flashing target on the screen, and a keeper who plays like a real person — sometimes he guesses, sometimes he waits, and he remembers what you did. It's another game from Podium Bay, our seaside sports club.”

How to play Penalty Shootout and the penalty kick rules

1. Tap PLAY. In the menu, choose your level (Friendly, Competitive, or The Final) against Yaw Boakye, “the Octopus,” and tap START. Or tap PLAY A FRIEND · BY LINK, set up the shootout, and send the link.
2. When it's your turn to shoot, pick a shot with the buttons: Power, Curler, Chip, Low shot, or Dipper.
3. Swipe your finger (or drag the mouse) from the ball to the spot in the goal in one motion: where it ends is your target, and its speed is your power. For a curler, curve your flick to choose which way the ball bends.
4. When Aurum shoots, you're in goal: before the kick, tap to the side to make Diego step along his line, then drag to where he should dive, and he'll go as the ball is struck. Playing by link, you pick your corner blind, or stay in the middle.
5. Each side takes five kicks, and if it's tied, it goes to sudden death. The shootout ends early when one side can't catch up.

More games to play with friends online

The shots

Power

A blast off the laces at 47 to 72 mph. The faster your flick, the harder the shot — and the bigger the risk of missing.

Curler

A finesse shot at 37 to 53 mph: the ball starts wide and bends into the corner. Curve your flick to choose which way it bends.

Chip

Slow and high, over a diving keeper. Against a keeper who waits in the middle, it's an easy save.

Low shot

The ball rolls along the grass at 34 to 59 mph, tight to the post.

Dipper

Hit with topspin: the ball rises above the target and drops suddenly into the top corner. It's the hardest one to control.

The referee

The goal

It only counts when the whole ball crosses the goal line, between the posts and under the crossbar — even if the keeper is holding it (Law 10).

The shootout

Five kicks each, alternating; it ends early when one side can't catch up. If it's still tied, it goes to sudden death until one side has scored one more goal than the other from the same number of kicks (Law 10.3).

Controls on phone and computer

Computer

Tap a shot type and swipe from the ball to the spot in the goal (on a computer, click a type and drag the mouse) · in goal, before the kick, tap to the side of your keeper to step along the line (on a computer, click or use ← →) and drag to where he'll dive · a tap (or click) skips the replay · the pause button opens the menu, and the speaker button turns the sound on and off · keyboard: 1 to 5 pick the shot, ← and → step sideways in goal, P or Esc pauses, and M turns the sound on and off · controller: START pauses and BACK turns the sound on and off.

Touch

On a phone, the game plays in portrait mode, with the goal at the top and the ball at the bottom; on a tablet, it follows the way you're holding it. The five shot types sit in a row at the bottom of the screen (in landscape, in a column on the left), and both shooting and diving are a swipe (a step sideways is a tap), so you can play one-handed. The scoreboard at the top tracks every kick with a dot.

The keeper, the levels, and playing by link

The Octopus

Yaw Boakye, Aurum's keeper. Before every kick, he picks a setup (standing still, shuffling along his line, a fake, or a step to one side as bait) and a plan (guess a corner, wait for the ball, or stay in the middle), and he takes notes on your habits.

The levels

On Friendly (normal), he guesses more and reads less; on Competitive (hard), he gets serious; in The Final (very hard), unlocked when you win on Competitive, he reads your run-up.

Your saves

You're Diego, Podium Bay's keeper, against Mateo “El Toro.” Pick your corner before the kick and you go as the ball is struck, just like the Octopus; pick after and you're usually late.

By link

Each of you plays on your own device. You both choose blind and at the same time: the shooter takes the kick, and the keeper picks a corner and a height. Then you both see the same kick. Up to 50 people can watch, and rematches are unlimited.