Original version

BBC World Service Australasia

More or Less

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

More or Less: Making Penalty Shoot-outs Fairer

Magazines & Reviews

Factual

Making penalty shoot-outs fairer

30/06/2017 GMT

Making Penalty Shoot-outs Fairer

BBC World Service - More or Less, Making Penalty Shoot-outs Fairer

The maths behind plans to change penalty shoot-outs

60% of penalty shoot-outs are won by the team going first, can this unfairness be overcome?

UEFA, European football's governing body, is currently trialling a new system for penalty shoot-outs that is based on mathematical research. At the moment if no-one manages to score a winning goal during the course of the match, the teams go to penalty shoot-outs. Each team takes turns to have a player take a penalty. But it’s well-known that the team who goes first seems to have an unfair advantage and a better chance of scoring. But 60% of penalty shoot-outs are won by the team going first, can this unfairness be overcome?

Maths whizz and football aficionado Rob Eastaway explains how the new system should help even up the chances of winning.

(image: Numbers / Shutterstock)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

More or Less

Making Penalty Shoot-outs Fairer

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Australasia

About BBC World Service