<P> Defending against a penalty kick is one of the most difficult tasks a goalkeeper can face . Some decide which way they will dive beforehand, giving themselves time to reach the side of the goalmouth . A 2011 study published in the journal Psychological Science found goalkeepers dived to the right 71% of the time when their team was losing, but only 48% when ahead and 49% when tied, a phenomenon believed to be related to certain right - preferring behaviour in social mammals . Others try to read the kicker's motion pattern . Kickers may attempt to feint, or delay their shot to see which way the keeper dives . Shooting high and centre, in the space that the keeper will evacuate, carries the highest risk of shooting above the bar . If a keeper blocks a penalty kick during a match, there is a danger the kicker or a teammate may score from the rebound; this is not relevant in the case of a shoot - out . </P> <P> Since the entire shoot - out is conducted at the same goal, the crowd behind the goal may favour one team and try to distract the other team's shooters . To forestall any potential advantage, in 2016 the Laws of the Game were modified to add a coin toss between the two teams prior to the shoot - out: the winner of the coin toss has the right to decide which goal is used for the shoot - out (previously, the decision was at the referee's discretion). The referee may change the goal only for safety reasons or if the selected goal or pitch are unusable . </P> <P> A goalkeeper may not use distracting gamesmanship such as cleaning his boots or asking the referee to see if the ball is placed properly; this risks a caution for unsporting conduct . Bruce Grobbelaar's "wobbly legs" clowning distracted Francesco Graziani in the 1984 European Cup Final shootout . The keeper is forbidden from moving off the goal line to narrow the shooter's angle; the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final shootout caused controversy as replays showed that both keepers got away with this, as did Jerzy Dudek in the 2005 Champions League Final . </P> <P> Before the introduction of shoot - outs, knock - out matches level after extra time would be decided by a replay or a coin toss . However, variants of the modern shoot - out were used before then in several domestic competitions and minor tournaments . Domestic examples include the Yugoslav Cup from 1952, the Coppa Italia from 1958--59, and the Swiss inter-regional Youth Cup from 1959--60 . International examples include the 1962 Uhrencup (at the suggestion of its founder Kurt Weissbrodt), the final of the 1962 Ramón de Carranza Trophy (at the suggestion of journalist Rafael Ballester), and a silver medal playoff match between amateur teams representing Venezuela and Bolivia in the 1965 Bolivarian Games . </P>

When do penalty kicks happen in world cup