Stutter-Step Penalties Under Scrutiny After Brazil’s World Cup Exit

In the last-16 match in New York-New Jersey, Brazil’s midfielder Bruno Guimarães attempted a “stutter-step” penalty that was saved by Norway’s goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who dived to his left. The miss left the score 0-0 at halftime. Norway’s Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half, securing a 2-0 victory. A late consolation penalty by Neymar (after a second, smoother run-up) could not overturn the result, eliminating Brazil from the 2026 World Cup.

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The technique traces back to a 1959 training session described by Pelé in *My Story*, where teammate Didi halted his run-up to read the keeper’s movement before striking. Pelé called the move “brilliant, slightly on the edge of the rules.” In February 2010, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) classified the feint as unsporting and introduced a yellow-card offense. A 2016-17 amendment refined the law: “feinting to kick the ball once the kicker has completed the run-up” is forbidden, while “feinting in the run-up is permitted.”

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High-profile users include Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 2022), Kylian Mbappé (France, 2022), Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2022), Harry Kane (England, 2026), and Raúl Jiménez (Premier League). Their outcomes vary: Ronaldo and Mbappé converted, Messi missed, Kane’s first attempt was saved but he scored on the retake, and Jiménez succeeded by reading England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

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• Brazil’s miss: 0-0 after Guimarães’s attempt.

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• Norway’s win: 2-0 (both goals by Haaland).

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• Neymar’s successful penalty after a smoother run-up.

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• At least six star players employed a stutter-step run-up during the tournament, with a 50 % conversion rate among those attempts.

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IFAB’s 2010 decision labeled the feint “unsporting” and justified a yellow-card sanction to protect goalkeeper dignity. The 2016-17 wording clarified that deception is allowed only before the standing foot contacts the ball. England striker Harry Kane explained his tactical choice: he observed Norway’s keeper moving early and deliberately used a stutter to exploit that tendency, adjusting his technique after the initial save.

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Social-media reaction was hostile: “Every player that takes a stutter-step penalty should be blindfolded and left out in the desert to find their way back on their own.” France goalkeeper Mike Maignan ridiculed the practice after England’s Euro 2024 match, calling the numerous feints “embarrassing.”

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Guimarães’s run-up paused briefly before contact, causing a loss of balance and a weak strike. Nyland, anticipating the feint, stayed on his line and parried the ball with his left hand. Haaland’s subsequent goals came from open play, while Neymar’s later spot-kick, taken after a normal run-up, slipped past Nyland’s outstretched hand.

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Sources differ on the precise timeline of IFAB’s rule changes: one notes a 2010 yellow-card ban, another emphasizes the 2016-17 wording tweak without mentioning the earlier sanction. No data are provided on how many teams considered abandoning the technique after Brazil’s exit.

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• “Every player that takes a stutter-step penalty should be blindfolded and left out in the desert to find their way back on their own,” — Social-media commentator

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• “When I watched the clips, I saw that he likes to move early, pretty much,” — Harry Kane, England striker

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• “I thought this was a brilliant idea – slightly on the edge of the rules, because you are supposed to kick the ball before the keeper moves.” — Pelé, autobiography *My Story*

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• “feinting to kick the ball once the kicker has completed the run-up” is forbidden. — IFAB rule text

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Analysts expect the stutter-step to persist, given its adoption by elite players, but IFAB may revisit the wording if high-profile failures, such as Guimarães’s, provoke further criticism. Teams are likely to weigh the psychological edge against the risk of a saved attempt in future knockout matches.

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