# Penalty Kick: a football review game for the whole class

> A football (soccer) review game: answer right, then shoot left, right or at the top corner past the keeper. Free, on one screen, no student devices needed.

Source: https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/penalty-kick/ · Updated 2026-10-29

Penalty Kick is a football review game for the whole class (soccer, if you teach in the US): a right answer earns a penalty, and the team decides where to shoot. Left or right is worth 2 but the keeper might dive there; the top corner is worth 3 but the ball might hit the bar. It works with any subject.

![A cartoon stadium at dusk with a smiling keeper in red gloves standing in the goal, a ball on the grass and the banner "Saved by the keeper!"](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/penalty.webp "Team 1 shot to one side and the keeper guessed right: saved.")

## At a glance

| Players | The whole class in 2–4 teams free (up to 8 with Oly Pro) |
| Time | 10–20 minutes for 12 questions |
| Works with | Every English question format and every subject |
| Best for | Review lessons, sports-mad classes, World Cup season |
| You need | One screen, your phone, and speakers for the crowd |

## How to play Penalty Kick

1. **Make or pick a question set.** Snap a textbook page, paste a word list, type a topic, paste your own questions, or start from the [free library](https://olyclass.com/library/).
2. **Pick Penalty Kick, set the teams and start.** Teams take turns.
3. **Play.** A right answer earns a penalty: the team picks left, right or the top corner. The keeper dives, and the ball goes in, gets saved or hits the bar. A wrong answer means no kick. When the questions run out, the team with the most points wins.

## Rules and scoring

| Shot | Points | What can go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Left | 2 | The keeper dives left, right or stays in the middle at random: a 1 in 3 chance it saves the shot |
| Right | 2 | Same: 1 in 3 saved |
| Top corner | 3 | Out of the keeper's reach, but about 1 in 3 shots hit the bar |

So the top corner is actually the better bet on paper: it scores about as often as a side shot and is worth more. A top-corner goal gets a fanfare and confetti.

You can switch these in the lobby before the game, or mid-game from the settings button:

- **Timer:** none, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds; running out counts as a wrong answer.
- **Wrong answers lose a point.** Off by default; scores never go below zero.
- **Steal:** off by default. When on, after a miss, another team may answer and takes the penalty if it's right (no extra turn).
- **Double or triple questions:** the points from that kick are multiplied.
- **Hide the score**, a seasonal theme, and full, calm or no effects.

![A picture question over the stadium: a cartoon dolphin, "What is it?" and four answers: dolphin, panda, polar bear, camel](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/penalty-ask.webp "The question comes before the kick. Only a right answer puts the ball on the spot.")

You see the answer on your phone and tap Correct or Not yet; then the team calls its shot and you tap it on the phone, or a student taps it on a touch screen.

## What you can teach with it

**English:** every format works: picture, word, listen, spell, meaning, sentence order and your own questions.

- **Directions and prepositions at A1:** *left*, *right*, *top*, *in*, *on*, *under*. The shot buttons on screen read Left, Right and Top corner.
- **Sports vocabulary at A2:** *score*, *goal*, *save*, *kick*, *referee*, with picture and spelling questions.

**Other subjects** use multiple choice, true/false and open questions:

- **Math:** fractions and chance: "1 in 3" is a lesson in itself.
- **Science:** true/false facts about forces and motion.
- **History and geography:** countries that hosted a World Cup, flags and capitals.

## Tips from the classroom

- **Pick a different kicker each turn.** Add a class list and Oly calls one student per team for each question.
- **Have the team shout its corner** before you tap, so the decision is theirs.
- **Big class of 40:** four teams of ten, and a 20-second timer keeps it moving.
- **When one team runs away with it,** turn on steal: the trailing teams get extra chances to score.

## Play it without a screen

- Draw a goal on the whiteboard and split it into left, right and a small top corner.
- A right answer lets the team call its shot. A "keeper" (another student, eyes closed) points left, middle or right.
- Left or right scores 2 if the keeper pointed elsewhere; for the top corner, roll a die: 1 or 2 hits the bar, otherwise 3 points.

The screen version plays the keeper and the bar for you, fairly, with sound and animation, and lets you run it from your phone.

## Questions teachers ask

### Is Penalty Kick free?

Yes. The game, the library and your own typed questions are free. The free plan includes 10 AI question sets a month (3 from photos) and up to 4 teams; Oly Pro allows up to 8.

### Do students need devices?

No. The class plays on one screen. You use your phone as the remote by scanning the QR code or typing the 6-digit PIN.

### Which shot is best?

On average the top corner: it goes in about two times in three and is worth 3. Left and right also go in about two times in three, but are worth 2.

### How many students can play?

Any number. Split the class into 2 to 4 teams on the free plan, or up to 8 with Oly Pro.

### Can I use my own questions?

Yes. Paste them as `question | answer | wrong, wrong`, type them in the editor, or import a public Kahoot link.

### Can a team lose points?

A saved shot or a shot off the bar scores nothing but costs nothing. Teams lose a point for a wrong answer only if you turn that rule on.

For more sport, try [Hoop Shot](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/hoop-shot/) or [Mini Golf](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/mini-golf/).