Q&A for How to Save a Penalty

No, but if you dive forward a little no one will say anything. As long as you don't come more than a few feet out you'll be fine.

If it is in a penalty kick situation, assess the player's body posture. If they lean, then they are mostly following the direction of their preferred foot. If the player is taking on a standard shooting stance, then most likely the ball is going the other way. (Right foot kicks to left and left foot kicks to right). Usually the body posture is the all-important factor to deciding which way the ball will go.

Look at his eyes and watch his body language. You can usually tell from his run-up: if he is right-footed and starts running at the ball from the left side, he will shoot to the left of you. If he runs at the ball near the center, he will shoot left.

Keep your eyes always be focused on the ball, especially when receiving a pass from a teammate. This helps you avoid instances of the ball going over your foot, especially on an uneven pitch, as you'll be better able to judge the flight of the ball.

Try to make up for it by throwing yourself as fast as you can in the direction he shot. Remember, you as the keeper are the master of the mind games, so use them!

Be on your toes, pick the side you want to dive to and just try your hardest to jump as high and far as possible.

Either lose weight or find a way to dive where your weight gives you an advantage.

Focus on the ball. Block out all distractions and just focus on where the ball is going and stopping it.

Technically, no. However,many officials will allow this.

The best option is to go to the right. Whether it's on the top or bottom net, go in that same direction to stop the ball. When saving a penalty, always try to read your opponent's body language and posture to see if there is a tell.

Concentrate on the ball and react quickly, be brave and dive for the ball, believe in yourself and do whatever possible to stop that ball getting into your net.

Yes, if you time it right.The reason this might or might not work is that it depends whether the shooter is planning on doing a snake-eye shot or not.

To stop a powerful shot, you know where the ball is coming from, then you have to pull your foot back to stop the ball and not make it fly up. Practice this at home.

There's nothing you can do if you've already committed to the other side. Just hope he hits the bar or misses. In the future, try not to commit to the fake.

To help improve saving penalties is to take penalties, so I would take some penalties against another goalkeeper and try to find a way to make the ball go in and try to trick the keeper. Then when you go back in goal, see if the kicker is going to do the same thing you did, then you will know where the ball will go. Another thing is to watch the kicker's eyes before he is about to kick. Most of the time the kicker will look at you (the keeper) then look at where they will kick it, so then you will know where the ball will go.

Give him a deadly stare right into his eyes, as if you are looking into his soul. It actually works as long as the penalty taker is looking at you too.

It's extremely rude and disrespectful and unsportsmanlike, but not technically illegal.

Catch the ball, hold on to it until it's clear, then either kick or pass it to a member of your team.

Try your best and practice. Angle your body, widen your arms and jump as high as you can at the ball to stop it.

You shouldn't be considering reactions at all in penalties( only in some cases). Try reading your opponent's gesture or eye placement but at the same time don't let him fool you, or just try to pick a side to dive in because that's your only chance of saving the shot because its very powerful and you wont have enough time to react.

Devote some extra time for this drill: Be the goalkeeper and call a friend and tell them to shoot many footballs to your left. After you're used to it, tell them to shoot anywhere they like and to try to save his/her shots.

Watch for the direction of the foot that he or she won't shoot with. Look at which side it is pointed. They would shoot there.

If you know where the person normally shoots in previous penalties, then that means he is most likely going to score in that position. You can sometimes predict what why he will kick the ball, from the direction he is running from.