A penalty shoot-out can be decided before the tenth kick, or continue long after it. The way to follow it is to compare goals with the opportunities remaining, then compare teams only after equal numbers of kicks in sudden death.
That small change in how you watch makes the sequence far easier to understand. The scoreboard is showing a contest inside a contest, with its own progress to track.
The basic sequence
Under IFAB Law 10, the teams alternate kicks and normally have up to five each. The shoot-out ends early if one side cannot catch the other even by scoring all its remaining kicks. If level after five each, they continue until one team leads after equal numbers of additional kicks.
Each eligible player must take a kick before a team-mate takes another. Shoot-outs take place after the match has ended. Whether a drawn game goes to extra time first depends on the competition rules.
Why it can end before five each
Consider an illustrative shoot-out in which both teams have taken three kicks. One has scored all three; the other has missed all three. With only two kicks remaining for the trailing team, it cannot draw level. The sequence is over.
You can use this calculation at any stage: count the gap, then count the remaining opportunities. It is more reliable than waiting for a broadcaster’s graphic to announce the winner.
Sudden death still gives both teams a turn
Now imagine the teams are level after five kicks each. The first side scores its sixth. That creates pressure, but the other side still has its sixth kick to answer. If both score, the sequence continues. If the second side misses, the first side wins.
These are hypothetical examples. Their value is in showing why a temporary one-goal advantage does not always end the shoot-out immediately.
Keep the match score separate
When sharing a result, give the drawn match score and the shoot-out result separately. Combining everything into one larger score can make it sound as though the penalty kicks were ordinary goals during play.
Check the final status on our football results page. If you are writing a match summary, spell out that the winner advanced on penalties so readers do not have to interpret a compact score label.
What to watch besides the taker
Follow the running total, which team kicks next and how many players have already taken a turn. During a long sequence, those details can tell you more than a close-up of the next player walking towards the spot.
For unusual incidents involving eligibility, a retake or an offence, use the referee’s decision and the official report. A short highlight may omit the information needed to explain it.
Our guide to added time and extra time explains the stages that may lead up to the shoot-out.
Official source
IFAB Law 10: Penalties and deciding a match. Checked on 6 novembre 2026; the competition’s rules determine when a shoot-out is used.