Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Stutter-step penalty debate has returned at the FIFA World Cup after Bruno Guimaraes missed from the spot in Brazil’s 2-1 Round of 16 defeat to Norway.
The Brazilian midfielder’s weak first-half effort was saved by Orjan Nyland, and the miss proved costly before Erling Haaland scored twice to send Norway through.
The moment added another layer to Brazil’s World Cup exit, which exposed missed chances and tactical flaws against Norway.
Brazil’s Own Trick Hurts Brazil
The stop-start penalty, known in Portuguese as the paradinha, has deep Brazilian roots.
Pele wrote in his autobiography that he first saw Didi use a version of it in 1959, stopping just before striking to read the goalkeeper’s movement.
“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,” Pele wrote.
Neymar later made the move famous again as an 18-year-old at Santos, before football’s rulemakers cracked down on stopping after the run-up is complete.
Why The Technique Divides Fans
The modern stutter-step penalty remains legal if the feint happens during the run-up.
Feinting once the kicker has completed the run-up is not allowed, but slowing, swaying or changing rhythm before planting the standing foot remains permitted.
That makes the technique a psychological contest.
The taker waits for the goalkeeper to move, while the goalkeeper tries to hold nerve long enough to force a rushed or soft finish.
Guimaraes lost that battle against Nyland.
His hesitation left the shot short of power and too close to the goalkeeper, which gave Norway the opening they needed to stay level before Haaland changed the match.
Stars Still Trust The Method
Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Raul Jimenez and Neymar have all used versions of the method at this World Cup, with mixed results.
Ronaldo and Mbappe scored, Messi missed, Kane adjusted after a retake, and Jimenez showed how effective the move can be when timing and placement work together.
For all the criticism, the stutter-step penalty is unlikely to disappear.
With goalkeepers studying data and penalty patterns more closely than ever, hesitation remains one way for takers to regain control of the moment.
Official Laws of the Game updates are available through IFAB.
