Identifying Vulnerable Zones of Goal during Penalty Kicks in Soccer Goalkeeping

Background: In association football (Soccer), a penalty kick holds immense importance as one decisive kick can determine the outcome of years of hard work. Objective: The study aims to examine the frequency and success rate of penalty shootouts executed by Bangladeshi male footballers in various zones of the goal to categorize zone-specific vulnerability, strength, and frequency. Materials and Methods: Male sixty-two (n=62) field players and thirty-two (n=32) goalkeepers aged 15-30 were selected for the study. The goal was divided into 12 zones for study. A camera (GoPro 11) was placed outside the penalty area. Visual and video analysis with Kinovia motion analysis software was conducted simultaneously. Percentage and Chi-square tests were employed for statistical analysis. Results: The results show the highest goal-scoring percentages by zone in the following sequence: 1 (100%), 4 (94%), 3 (82%), 2 (64%), 12 (54%), 9 (52%), 5 (51%), 8 (50%), 6 (29%), 10 (18%), 11 (15%), and 7 (13%). In terms of targeted kick percentages, the order by zone from highest to lowest is as follows: 12 (20%), 9 (19%), 5 (13%), 8 (12%), 10 (12%), 4 (6%), 6 (5%), 7 (5%), 3 (4%), 2 (4%), 11 (4%), and 1 (3%). Pearson's Chi-square value is 59.234 with df = 11, and p = .000, indicating a statistically significant association between the zones in goal and the outcomes (goal or save). Conclusions: Most kicks target the lower side of the goalposts, with scoring chances increasing when kicked farther and higher, revealing different vulnerabilities across different areas in the goal.