By: Yiran Liu

In soccer, penalty kicks are very important. They can be the turning point in any soccer game because the kicks can sometimes decide the winner of the match. A penalty kick will take place when a player fouls in the penalty box or when the game is tied at the end.

The previous time a Women’s World Cup did not have a penalty shootout was in 2007. “So many games have been won by a single goal that has been a penalty,” said Robbie Wilson, a professor at the University of Queensland. “It’s disproportionately more important than any other kick in the game.”

The goalkeeper’s job is to defend the goal. The ball kicked toward the goal takes about 400 milliseconds to reach the goal. The goalie has a very short time to react to the flying ball coming toward the player. The goalie has a 50% chance that he will block the ball. When the goalie dives for the ball, the movement itself can take 500 milliseconds if the goalkeeper wants to cover the post.