A penalty shootout in a football match is arguably the most stressful experience for players, as well as fans watching. But how fair is the whole process. Not very, according to some scientists. Which is why researchers from New York and Maastricht says they have come up with a way to make penalty shootouts fairer. Professor Steve Brams of New York university and Mehmet Ismail of Maastricht university believe the current way the shootout is applied, where players from opposing sides take turns in shooting penalties regardless of whether they miss or score favours the team that starts off the proceedings. They have proposed a new system whereby whenever a player misses a shot the same team should immediately take the next penalty as well. Both professors claim the team that takes the first penalty has a psychological advantage, which is why changing turns during the shootout would balance out the injustice. it sound like an interesting idea, but whether their theory will ever be incorporated in real football matches remains to be seen.