Before Gareth Southgate's reign as England manager, the national football team had a notoriously poor record in competitive penalty shootouts. This trend of underperformance began at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where England faced West Germany in the semifinals. After a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time, the match was decided by penalties. England lost 4-3, with Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missing crucial spot-kicks. This defeat marked the beginning of a string of heart-wrenching shootout losses that would haunt the team for decades.
The pattern continued at Euro 96, hosted in England, where Southgate himself missed a decisive penalty in the semifinal against Germany, resulting in a 6-5 shootout loss. Further disappointments followed, including losses to Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, Portugal in both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, and Italy in Euro 2012. Each of these defeats reinforced England's reputation for struggling under the pressure of penalties, with the team winning only one out of seven major tournament shootouts prior to Southgate's tenure. This historical context of repeated failures in high-stakes moments contributed to a pervasive sense of dread and inevitability whenever matches went to penalties.
However, at the time of writing this article, England has a 2-1 success record in major penalty shootouts since 2018. While they lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, they managed victories against Colombia in 2018 and, most recently, an impressively calm performance against Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final.
So, what has changed?
While England undoubtedly has a talented squad full of specialist penalty-takers, they have also taken steps to increase the player's confidence and psychological safety during these pressure events.
England deployed a 'buddy system' during the penalty shootout vs Switzerland.
This system saw each player escorted out and greeted back to the group by their buddy after the penalty and welcomed back into the group.
Why is this so beneficial and important?
When a player undertakes the long walk from the centre circle to the penalty spot, it can be a lonely one. The weight of pressure on the player's shoulders can feel heavy, and time can feel like it is slowing down. Having a partner walk out with you can reaffirm to focus of 'we trust you, the team backs you, you have got this'.
Likewise, when the player returns to the group, a sense of belonging is felt as they are reunited with their buddy, and the walk back to the squad can be shared.
If the penalty is scored, it increases the bond and celebration among the players, while if missed, the disappointment and pressure are shared and absorbed by the buddy and, later, the group.
The key message is 'whatever happens, you are welcome back'.
The group never rejects you or shuns you, and it appreciates those players willing to step up for the team to take a kick.
This is a powerful strategy that teams of all levels and ages can embrace if they face a dreaded penalty shootout in their matches.
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