[random42_]

There is a story that when penalties were first introduced they were seem as unfair by both players and goalkeepers. That was because at the time, the box (or perhaps just the penalty line) used to run from side to side. Rumor has it that players, because of that sense of unfairness, would miss the penalty on purpose.

Eventually the box was reduced and now penalties are a (99%) sure way of scoring.

I don’t know why you mentioned Messi and etc., I was replying to what you said about trying to optimize for PKs during a game.