As if soccer penalty kicks weren’t difficult enough for goalkeepers, there is a new wave of penalty kick trickery gaining in popularity. This technique called the parardinha, though not new, is causing quite a bit of discussion among soccer organizations, referees, players, and even fans. The opinions are varied as to whether this should be allowed to continue, or if it should be ruled “unsporting behavior.”
This bit of penalty kick trickery takes place when the kicker makes a run at the ball, then hesitates before actually taking the shot. In that moment of hesitation the kicker can see which way the keeper is diving, and then makes an adjustment that typically results in an easy goal.
The paradinha (pronounced par-a-JEEN-ya), which is Portuguese for “little stop” was first popularized by Pele. While used frequently in Brazil it never really caught on in other soccer leagues until recently. Now with the upcoming World Cup many organizations, including FIFA are trying to decide whether the move is legal or not.
In the past the rule of thumb was that the designated kicker needed to make a continuous move through the ball. Anything else was considered to be unsporting. The problem is, the laws of the game do not specify that the move needs to be continuous. Soccer organizations have specified that unsporting behavior in a PK is:
- Excessively long runs at the ball
- Repeatedly changing directions
- Stopping and backing up
These are considered cautionable offenses, and will typically draw a yellow card.
However, the paradinha does not fall into any of these areas. Although the kicker stops the forward momentum, they do not change direction or back up. They simply stop, and then take an easy kick.
FIFA took up the discussion of the kicker “feinting” in order to draw the keeper off balance, and decided that feinting is not an offense. Despite that ruling, some referees still penalize for feinting, partially because there is no clear definition of what constitutes feinting.
What will be interesting is seeing how this move is handled as soccer once again moves to the international spotlight with the beginning of the World Cup. There is speculation that the paradinha will be allowed in some countries, while others will deem it to be unsporting.
Penalty kick trickery is nothing new. Johan Cruyff made the penalty kick pass famous when instead of shooting on goal he lightly kicked the ball to the side, where a teammate dribbled toward the goal, passing back to Cruyff who then shot the goal. Only time will tell if the paradinha will be treated in a similar fashion, or whether soccers ruling body will decide that it will not be allowed.
