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Soccer: Firing Squad: Penalty kicks the new deciding factor in soccer matches
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@starlocalnews.com
Starting with the 2013 season, varsity soccer playoff games tied at the end of regulation and overtime will be decided by penalty kicks, the prevailing method across the sport, rather than the 35-yard dribble-up shootout method used previously.
McKinney head boys soccer coach Alan Pocock, for one, welcomes the change.
"Just because you have a system in place doesn't mean the system works," he said. "It's open to so much interpretation, especially when it gets to playoffs and someone's season extends and ends with a shootout."
"Those shootouts were the dark ages for soccer," said John Gall, Marcus boys head coach. "We were one of the few organizations that still used them. I think the MLS kind of introduced them as a way to make it more exciting for the fans. Even they made the change but the UIL has just kept it going. Hopefully this is a way for us to keep up with the rest of the world."
"This goes to a more traditional way of finishing games," added Rick Woodard, Plano East boys head coach.
The previous method was a best-of-five format that placed shooters 35 yards from the goal and gave them five seconds to maneuver before taking one shot. If the shootout remained tied after five attempts from each team, the format would shift to sudden death. MLS originated the practice, but abandoned it in 2000.
Now, game-deciding shootouts (which may include regular season matches in certain districts) will play out just like penalty kicks during regulation, which give shooters one chance to strike a ball placed 12 yards from the goal. The closer distance to the goal heavily favors the shooter as keepers have to guess which direction they think the ball is headed, leaving the rest of the net open.
"It's incredibly harder to make a good save on a penalty kick," Pocock said.
"It was something that us soccer purists didn't necessarily enjoy," Gall added. "Even though we won a state championship on shootouts in 2007, I'm glad to see the change. A shootout is a harsh way to lose a match and is really more of a coin flip than anything."
The best-of-five format will continue.
The 35-yard dribble-up allowed keepers to leave their line, charge shooters and either smother the ball as it came off their foot or force them to take longer, more difficult shots. It also gave goalies additional time to judge where the ball was headed.
"I always liked the shootout because it gave the keeper more of an opportunity to make a play," Woodard said. "That's not going to be the case as much anymore, but this will also put a lot more pressure on the shooter."
The previous method required extensive input from referees, who had to signal the start of each shootout attempt while keeping time and ensuring no fouls were committed. Pocock said he's "happy to see the human element as far as judging go away" and that most coaches he's talked to agree.
"You either make it or you miss it now," he added.
The issue is close to heart for McKinney Boyd, which saw both its boys and girls teams eliminated from the playoffs this year via a shootout loss in the regional quarterfinals. The Broncos lost to Jesuit, 2-1, while the defending state champion Lady Broncos were upset by A&M Consolidated, 3-2. Boyd's status as champion was usurped by the Plano West girls, which had to defeat Flower Mound Marcus via shootout in the regional finals en route to a state title.
Marcus' boys team, meanwhile, saw its season end in a shootout in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons against Southlake Carroll.
Penalty kicks will now take place whenever the dribble-up shootout was required (i.e. playoffs), but districts can still decide whether they want draws extended into extra time.
District 10-5A (which includes McKinney, Boyd, Plano Senior, West, East and Allen next season), will feature a 2-1-0 point system in which all matches are over at the end of regulation and award two points for a win and one point for a draw.
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