Twelve Yards ─ The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick

An all-encompassing look at the penalty kick, soccer’s all-or-nothing play?its legendary moments and the secrets to its success

No stretch of grass has been the site of more glory or heartbreak in the world of sports than the few dozen paces between goalkeeper and penalty kicker in soccer. In theory, it’s simple: place the ball beyond a single defender and secure a place in history. But once the chosen players make the lonely march from their respective sides of the pitch, everything changes, all bets are off, and anything can happen. Drawing from the hardwon lessons of legendary games, in-depth statistical analysis, expert opinion, and the firsthand experience of coaches and players from around the world, journalist Ben Lyttleton offers insight into the diverse attitudes, tactics, and techniques that separate success from failure in one of the highest-pressure situations sports has to offer.

BEN LYTTLETON is a journalist and broadcaster who has written for Sports Illustrated and Time, among other publications, and is Bloomberg TV’s on-air soccer analyst. He is also a director of Soccernomics, the soccer consultancy. He lives in London. This is his first book.