<P> This is a list of all penalty shoot - outs that have occurred in the Finals tournament of the FIFA World Cup . Penalty shoot - outs were introduced as tie - breakers in the 1978 World Cup but did not occur before 1982 . The first time a World Cup title was won by penalty shoot - out was in 1994 . The only other time was in 2006 . By the end of the 2018 edition, 30 shoot - outs have taken place in the World Cup . Of these, only two reached the sudden death stage after still being tied at the end of "best of five kicks". </P> <P> The first editions of the World Cup used the rule of replaying a knockout game ending in a tie . Replacement of the rule of deciding a winner of a drawn game via drawing of lots was first proposed in 1970 to International Football Association Board, and it was adopted by FIFA for the World Cup for the first time at the 1978 tournament . </P>

When were penalties introduced in the world cup