Sunday’s Community Shield final between Arsenal (the eventual winners) and Chelsea witnessed a new penalty shootout system, called ABBA. This new system certainly piqued curiosity, as it was the first time it was being used competitively in England. And no, it doesn’t have any connection whatsoever with its more well-known namesake, the popular Swedish band from the 1970s.
This experiment was sanctioned recently by football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
What is the ABBA penalty shootout system?
Under the previous system, or the one that’s commonly used, the teams take their penalties alternately. So Team A takes the first kick, followed by Team B in the first pair, and then Team A takes the following kick and so on. The sequence here is AB, AB, AB, and so on.
The new system, however, is similar to the format used in tennis tie-breaks. Team A takes the first kick followed by Team B and then, in the second pair, Team B takes the first kick followed by Team A. The sequence here is AB BA (and so on) and hence, ‘ABBA.’
This continues till the fifth round of kicks, i.e., till the 10th kick. If the teams are still tied on goals, the penalties continue until the winner is decided. Before the penalty shootout begins, the referee will toss a coin to decide which end will be used for the shootout. This is followed by another coin toss where the team winning it will get to decide whether to take the first kick or second.
What was the need to try out the new system?
This trial is part of the IFAB’s “play fair” initiative, and the European football body UEFA has endorsed it. The IFAB felt that the existing penalty shootout system gave the team taking the first kick an unfair advantage.
“The hypothesis is that the player taking the second kick in the pair is under greater mental pressure, because if the opposition's first penalty in the pair has been successful, a miss by the second penalty-taker in the pair could mean the immediate loss of a match for his team, especially from the fourth pair of penalties onwards – i.e. the 7th and 8th spot kicks,” UEFA said in a release in its website.
When was ABBA first used?
The system was first trialled this May, for the UEFA European Women's Under-17 finals at Czech Republic. It will also be used for the EFL Cup in England. The Community Shield final was the first time this system was used competitively in England.
What were the reactions like?
It wasn’t exactly an instant hit, as you would expect in every experiment. Former England captain and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard said he found the old format “tense” and “exciting”. "It [ABBA] does change the advantage, if you like,” he was quoted in the Telegraph .
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle said it now changes the dynamics of deciding whether to take the first kick or not after winning the toss. "If they miss you've got two opportunities (to score), so do you give them the opportunity to go first?" he was quoted in the same paper.
Still, it brought out the wit among some fans and journalists. The band wasn’t forgotten…
