Remember you saw it here first.

Point 1: At a penalty shootout players are tired, they have just played and fought to a standstill.

Point2: Many will feel all the pressure is on them, so try to take that pressure away.

Point3 Confidence

In practise each player taking a penalty as if in a shootout should wear velcro wrist and ankle weights, which are readily available at sports and fitness stores, they shoudl alos wear a weighted body vest. This replicates the muscle tiredness that will make the body feel heavy and less responsive after a long match.

Taking into account the second point, have a penalty action plan in which the way a penalty is taken goes not with the player but with the number you are in the penalty taking queue. So player 1 strikes to the left and player 2 also to the left, player 3 powerhsot to the centre and so on. This instruction is then relayed to the players by the manager at the point of the shoot out. If s/he misses this is down to the manager not the player as they are under instruction.

In the 2006 world cup the confidence in the German players against argentina and the Italians (not renowned for good penalty shootouts) is also an issue. Sports Psychology becomes more and more important, players need to beleive in themselves , a system, a manager and in a penalty shotout that they will score and they need to score and they can score. The system above will give them this confidence. However a team spirit and action needs to exist also, where players link arms, and every player looks down the pitch at the opposing goalkeeper and weclomes back the penalty taker.

Goalkeepers also need support and practise, and too will be tired at the end of a game, they need to practise psychology of psyching out and opposition player, and a beleif in themselves.

These last things are hard to replicate and will come over time with a team with self beleif…lets hope the Team behind MacLaren can do this. Lets not he was the person at Man Utd who originally brought in Sport Psychologists to help and support them tema and process that was very successful and other teams have since taken up.

Related posts:

Related posts:

1. The State of English Football (yes we lost on penalties AGAIN!)
2. More on the State of English Football
3. England, Euro 2008 and the germans had the right idea
4. More on the ashes, and sporting behaviour
5. Chat Match

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