What's going on with penalties - is it time to end the 'stutter'?
The effectiveness of the 'stutter' run-up technique in penalty kicks is being questioned following a series of high-profile misses at the World Cup. Statistics show a low conversion rate for this method, sparking debate among football fans and analysts.
Why it matters
It reflects the evolving tactical nature of professional sports and the ongoing tension between traditional techniques and modern performance trends.
Figure caption, Mbappe misses a penalty against Morocco
A stuttering run-up, a swing of the boot and a miss.
It has become a theme of this year's World Cup that a stop-start run-up technique for a penalty is not always leading to a goal.
France's Kylian Mbappe became the latest player to fail from the spot with this method as he had a tame first-half penalty saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou during their quarter-final victory over Morocco.
The Real Madrid striker, 27, made amends on the hour mark when his sensational curling effort broke a stubborn Morocco defence, before Ousmane Dembele doubled France's lead six minutes later to secure a 2-0 win .
But his earlier blunder, uncharacteristic for the joint-top scorer in this tournament, begs the question: is it time players stopped with the stuttering penalty kicks?
William McCrum: The Irishman who invented the penalty kick
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