What Is A Penalty Shootout At The World Cup? Rules Explained, How It Works

Shootouts: teams alternate up to five penalties each; if one side gets an insurmountable lead the shootout ends early, and if still tied after five it goes to sudden death — one pair of kicks at a time until someone wins.
The penalty kick is a one‑on‑one duel from the spot (12 yards out); the taker can vary their run‑up, but unusual touches (double‑touch) have special rules — a retake if the double touch still results in a goal, otherwise a miss.
Goalkeeper rules make it tense: they must face the kicker, stay between the posts and keep at least one foot on/over the goal line until the ball is kicked; leaving the line or touching posts/net can lead to retakes or penalties.