Football fans that may have switched their attentions elsewhere after last season wrapped up had no idea what was going on.
Those of you that were watching the Under 17 European Championships and U20 World Cup will have been well aware of the new penalty shoot-out system. The other 99.2% of the world were slightly confused.
Uefa and Fifa are going full tilt with their trials for the new shoot-out system and that includes in preseason friendlies.
As Reuters described,
earlier this year, the new system is entitled ABBA. It is designed to prevent 'the team that goes second from being put at the psychological disadvantage of always having to play catch-up'. Research had previously shown that the team going first has a 60% chance of winning in a shootout situation.
https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/887605746212495360
ABBA ensures that, aside from the very first and very last penalties, each team gets two consecutive spot-kicks.
West Brom and 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City played out a 1-1 draw in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, and then took part in the new-look shoot-out. Both sides had no bother adapting to it all and, of the first 10 penalties, only Danny Drinkwater came close to missing - his effort creeping under Ben Foster.
[caption id="attachment_130756" align="aligncenter" width="475"]
Credit: Sky Sports[/caption]
One player who was definitely not fazed by it all was Ireland international James McClean.
The midfielder did not hang about as he placed the ball, turned, stepped back, picked his spot and rifled one home.
https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/887651947960053763
While the players got right to it, the new rules meant many fans were taking to Twitter to plead for help:
https://twitter.com/tEdits_Toby/status/887643874201612289
https://twitter.com/baridura/status/887642752292442112
https://twitter.com/MyallsMartin/status/887644407993958400
https://twitter.com/AdamJenkins20/status/887643378111979520
For the record, Leicester, who went
first, won the shoot-out 7-6.
Thanks for nothing ABBA.
