Explained: How will a GAA penalty shootout work?

There are 17 'winner on the day' matches this weekend in the hurling and football championships

Cork's Patrick Horgan a scores penalty during the 2018 National Hurling League. Any game that is level after extra time will be decided on penalties in this year's hurling and football championships. Picture: INPHO/Conor Wyse

Only a player from the five nominated penalty takers will be able to participate should any penalty shootout go to sudden death in this weekend’s championship games.

The possibility of spot kicks and pucks comes into sharp focus with nine knockout Sam Maguire Cup games taking place this weekend— two in Munster, three in Leinster, three in Ulster, and one in Connacht.

Eight of the 10 hurling championship games in the coming days are “extra-time and winner on the day” games, and include the four provincial semi-finals as well as two Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup matches.

Should teams be level at the end of normal time, there will be two 10-minute periods of extra time. Should they still not be separated at the end of those, a penalty shootout will take place at an end of the referee’s choosing, with a coin-toss to decide who goes first.

Only players on the field at the end of extra time are eligible to be named among the five penalty takers. A substitute goalkeeper must also be nominated in the event that the first-choice netminder is injured.

Only the participants in the penalty shoot-out and match officials are allowed on the field, and goalkeepers are permitted to take one.

Should the teams still be level after they have each taken five penalties (only goals count), only those who have struck a penalty in the shoot-out are permitted to take another. Teams can change their order of takers in sudden death.

Referees have been reminded of goalkeepers staying on the goal-lines for penalties, as well as takers in hurling not crossing the 20m line before the sliotar has been struck. A goalkeeper is permitted to move along the goal-line when a penalty kick/puck is being taken, but not off it until the ball has been hit.

In all of those scenarios, the penalty must be retaken.

As a means of avoiding replays, the winner-on-the-day stipulation, first introduced to the championship for last year’s football qualifiers, applies almost across the board in this year’s championship due to the intense schedule of the competitions.

No replays apply to any of the 47 Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy Cup fixtures.

Winner on the day for both codes was initially a free-taking shoot-out from the 65m line in hurling and brought in from the 45m to 33m out in football.

However, Central Council endorsed a move to penalty shoot-outs at the end of 2018, and it was backed by Congress last year.