No two ways about it: hockey penalty shootouts are better than their football equivalent.
Do you want to see someone get one shot at goal, or as many as they can muster before time runs out?
Do you want them to have one touch, or as many touches in the run-up as they need.
That’s what we thought.
If you still need more convincing, you clearly weren’t watching Team GB’s women’s hockey team win their first ever Olympic gold medal.
Great Britain came from 2-1 and 3-2 down to force penalties against The Netherlands, who had won gold in London in 2012 and in Beijing in 2008.
And that’s when it was the goalkeepers’ time to shine – step forward Maddie Hinch, who stopped the Dutch team from converting a single one.
Gold. Medal. pic.twitter.com/7oHtTeIh8x
— Great Britain Hockey (@GBHockey) August 19, 2016
Now, back to those penalties.
They won’t be anything special to anyone who has played or watched hockey in the past.
Or, indeed, anyone who followed Major League Soccer in its early days, though their version was slightly different.
Unlike those boring shootouts you see in outdated tournaments like the football World Cup or European Championships, players get a ball, a run-up, and a countdown.
As long as the ball doesn’t leave the penalty area, they’re allowed more than one try, as Germany’s Janne Muller-Wieland showed in some style in the semi-final.
@ColinMurray – check out #hockey penalty shuttles between Germany & Netherlands in semi just played. Mind = blown 😲 pic.twitter.com/Waid3BH3BR
— EVO Hockey (@evo_hockey) August 17, 2016
It’s a battle of wits and a battle of skill, and Team GB came out on top by two goals to nil after drawing in regular time.
And there’s certainly been plenty of noise when it comes to borrowing this element of hockey for other sports.
https://twitter.com/Billie_T/status/766751865988153344
HOCKEY PENALTIES ARE THE BEST
— IRC (@iggigg) August 19, 2016
The #teamgb #Hockey ladies did the country proud, esp. @MaddieHinch. And hockey penalties are better than footy ones pic.twitter.com/IloItG967A
— Phil Szomszor (@philszomszor) August 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/Dani8l45/status/766753319029239813
Go on Fifa, Uefa and the FA. You heard the people.
Read more