quote:
Don't let most keepers lie to you. At a higher level, the ones that they stop are just because they guessed right and picked a side and went for it. Most of us do it. If they deny it they are lieing.
Doc,

Call me a liar all you want but I have to disagree with you. I am the starting keeper for the Berkeley Girls' soccer team and for me, PK's are much more than just picking a side and diving. I can honestly say that I've never just randomly picked a side for a Penalty Kick and dove. (And, mind you, only one of the seven PK's shot on me has scored and that was during the overtime PK's against Battery Creek the first game of the season.)

I always look at their eyes as the first factor in where I may dive. Call me crazy (you wouldn't be the first...) but I look at their eyes anyway. I know it's easy for a kicker to fool a keeper this way but even so...

Then I look at where they position themselves in relation to the ball. And last, right as they kick it, I watch the plant-foot to see which direction it's pointed.

So, I can say that I don't just pick a side a dive. Penalty Kicks (for a keeper) are so much more than just a guess and hope to be correct -especially if the game may be on the line.