The Dynamics of Decision Making in Penalty Kick Situations in Association Football

This paper reviews research on decision-making behavior of both goalkeeper and penalty taker during penalty kick situations in association football. Specifically, it adopts an ecological dynamics perspective on the behavior of both penalty taker and goalkeeper exemplifying how each might constrain the other’s decisions. This conceptual framework is elucidated to suggest key ideas for designing experimental programs on the penalty kick. We conclude by discussing the implications of ecological dynamics to advance research and practice in the penalty kick.