Penalty taking and Game theory Penalty shootout is a method used in order to find out who is the winner after a soccer match that is drawn. The team who scores the most goals after 5 attempts is the winner. The goal is defended by the goalkeeper of the opposite team and it represents one of the most difficulties tasks a goalkeeper can face. Game theory is a theory “that deals with strategies for maximising gains and minimising losses within prescribed constraints” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/game+theory). “In the game theory, the player ́s strategy is any of the options he or she can choose in a setting where the outcome depends not only on his own actions but on the action of others. A player's strategy will determine the action the player will take at any stage of the game ”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_(game_theory) ) In reality a penalty shootout is not theoretical at all. The penalty-taker has the burden of a whole nation or team on his shoulders and decides with his shoot if they reach the next stage in a tournament or even win this. On the other side he could be the pitiful who misses to strike and sent his nation or team into shock. Only a few seconds decide about …show more content…
These skills helps them to forecast what the opponent player will do as next step. “Skilled goalkeepers apparently spend more time studying the face of the penalty taker and can fixate on the motion of a kicker’s legs moments before he touches the ball. On average a ball kicked in a penalty travels at about 70 mph (112km/h), according to Business Insider. With the penalty spot 36ft (11 metres) from the goal, this means it will take the ball less than half a second to reach the net. That gives the goalkeeper around 700 milliseconds to look which way the ball is going, decide which way to jump and move his body in that direction