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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.

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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)

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