It’s easy to take the taking of penalties for granted and to assume that you will score everytime and when your opponent to simply put it down to luck however there is a lot of science that goes into the taking and saving of penalties.
if you think over the various penalties that you have seen players in real life take there is almost an infinite variation for example bending their run-up, stuttering as they run-up and even changing foot with which they shoot.
So, it is important that you consider the various options that you have at your disposal when taking a penalty in FIFA 19.
Default Controls for Penalties
When Shooting
- Aim: Left Stick
- Shoot: Circle/B
- Move player from side to side before they run up to the ball: Right Stick
- Stutter: L2/LT
- Sprint: R2/RT
- Select which player takes the penalty (you obviously need to press this before you press the shoot button): R2
- Right Stick: Move your player from side to side before they shoot.
- L2: Stutter
- Move your player during their run-up: Left stick
- Add more power to your shot during the run-up: Circle/B
- Finesse Shot: R1/RB + Circle/B
- Chip Shot: L1/LB + Circle/B
- Turn aim indicator on or off: Up on the D-Pad
When in Goal
- Move from side to side: Left stick
- Dive for the ball: Right stick
- Goalkeeper gestures: X/Circle/Triangle/Square (PS4) or A/B/X/Y
How to Take a Penalty
To make your run towards the ball you need to hold down the X (PS4) / A (Xbox) and you will see the power be start to fill up. If you fill it up completely your player will shoot over the bar so, depending on whether you want to shoot high or low, use between 1.5 and 2.5 bars of power.
When you press the shoot button a direction arrow will appear and can move this left a and right until your player kicks the ball. When your player kicks the ball the it will go in the direction of the arrow.
When you take a penalty you also have other features that you can use. One of these is the ability to move your player before they start their run-up using the right stick. This will potentially confuse your opponent.
You can also stutter your run which gives you more time to watch which side your opponent’s goalkeeper is moving to, if any.
Why is it important to be good at penalties
Many games are decided by one goal so being able to make the most of penalties will give you that little extra chance of winning a match. If you relate it to real football, most teams who win the World Cup usually have to win a penalty shoot out. In FIFA, with the FUT Champions Weekend League being so tight and there being no draws, being good at pens will get you more, important wins.
Best penalties ever taken
In the World Cup final of 2006 involving France and Italy, France earned a relatively early whilst other people have done it, Zinedine Zidane chipped the ball down the middle as Buffon dived to one side, the fact that he had the composure to do this in a World Cup final was amazing.
You can check out this penalty in the video below:
In the video below, Neymar shows how to use the run-up stutter to great effect as it gives him a chance to take a look at where the goalkeeper is diving and put the ball in the other side of the goal. This isn’t the only great thing about this penalty but also the fact that he places it in the top corner which is probably the most difficult place to save one. This is possibly the perfect penalty.
Also in the video below is an old one by Ajax in which players, including Johan Cruyff, pass to each other. If the ball goes forward and the supporting player isn’t in the box when the ball is touched then it is perfectly legal. As far as I’m aware this isn’t possible in FIFA 19 but hopefully they will add it to a future version!
In the video below, the first penalty by Alexis Sanchez shows what sprinting toward the ball can do as the keeper moves quickly to one side as he is anticipating a hard shot and this gives Sanchez the space to put the ball calmly down the middle.
Composure and Creativity are key
We have looked at a number of different techniques when it comes to taking penalties but, ultimately, it is a mental battle with composure and creativity being vital when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net. Staying cool under pressure so that you can analyse your opponent at the time and thinking about the behaviors that they have shown during the game will allow you to then come up with a penalty execution that is creative and deceives your opponent. Either do that or just smash the ball down the middle of the goal and hope for the best!