Before penalties, cup ties that ended level were settled by replays, lot‑draws or coin flips. At Euro 1968 Italy reached the final after winning a heads‑or‑tails toss against the Soviet Union, then beat Yugoslavia in a replay. The system collapsed in the 1968 Olympics when Israel’s captain drew a paper from a sombrero to lose to Bulgaria, prompting FA official Yosef Dagan to demand a skill‑based alternative.

Dagan and Israel FA chief Michael Almog drafted a proposal in 1969, urging FIFA to replace random draws with a five‑kick shootout, extending to sudden death if needed. After debate, the Football Association Board approved the method at its Inverness AGM on 27 June 1970. Trials followed, notably the Watney Cup in Hull, though FIFA admitted no definitive record of that match being the first official shootout.

The first professional shootout took place on 29 August 1970 at Hull’s Boothferry Park in the Watney Cup. Geoff Best opened the scoring, Denis Law recorded the first miss and keeper Ian McKechnie made the inaugural save. McKechnie later became the first keeper to miss a penalty, marking a night that introduced a skill‑based ending now routine in World Cups and domestic cups.