Should Soccer Hold Penalty Shootouts Before Extra Time?

The proposed soccer rule innovation would move the penalty shootout before extra time when a knockout match remains tied after 90 minutes. Under this fan-submitted format, each team would take exactly five penalties. A team winning the shootout by two or more goals would win the match immediately. A one-goal shootout victory would carry forward as a one-goal advantage into 30 minutes of extra time, while a tied shootout would send teams into extra time level. If the match were still tied afterward, another shootout would settle it. The aim is to encourage attacking play and allow more matches to finish during regular, free-flowing soccer. Nick gives the proposal a +2 on his −10 to +10 Good Idea Scale, finding a modest potential benefit alongside several limitations. A tied preliminary shootout or an equalizing goal could eliminate the intended incentive, and a second shootout might leave fans feeling exhausted rather than excited. He prefers a variation in which the preliminary shootout always produces a winner, who then receives a half-goal advantage for extra time. That would ensure one team always needs to score and guarantee a winner when extra time ends, without another shootout.