England's Euro 2025 standout player, Hampton, basks in the spotlight after employing tactical penalty strategies
In a surprising turn of events during the Euro 2025 final between England and Spain, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made headlines for her unconventional tactic. The match, held in Switzerland, ended in a draw, necessitating a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.
Hannah Hampton, who made two saves during the shoot-out, added another twist to the dramatic finale by intentionally picking up Cata Coll's penalty cheat sheet and throwing it into the English crowd. Cata Coll, the Spanish goalkeeper, had stuck her cheat sheet onto her water bottle.
The cheat sheet, it seems, was a secret weapon for both goalkeepers. Both Hampton and Cata Coll had sheets of paper indicating their opponent's most likely target during penalties. However, the use of such aids during penalty kicks is not explicitly mentioned in the official Laws of the Game for international women's soccer.
According to the Laws of the Game, goalkeepers are the only players allowed to use their hands within the penalty area, including during penalty kicks, where they must remain on the goal line until the ball is kicked. While there are rules governing the goalkeeper's positioning and conduct, there is no mention of allowing or prohibiting the use of notes or cheat sheets during penalties.
Cata Coll's decision to stick her cheat sheet on the water bottle allowed Hampton to intervene during the penalty shoot-out. The English goalkeeper replaced Cata Coll's cheat sheet with her own blank one in the water bottle, leaving the Spanish goalkeeper confused when she realised what had happened.
Hannah Hampton shared her account of the incident with TalkSPORT, adding a touch of humour to the already thrilling finale. England retained their European crown by beating world champions Spain 3-1 on penalties, becoming the first nation to retain the women's Euros since Germany won six in a row from 1995 to 2013.
While the use of penalty cheat sheets remains a grey area in the official rules, Hampton's unorthodox move is sure to spark discussions and debates in the world of women's soccer. As for Cata Coll, she will undoubtedly be more vigilant about her tactics in future matches.
- Hannah Hampton's unconventional move during the Euro 2025 final, where she replaced Cata Coll's penalty cheat sheet with a blank one, could potentially challenge the existing rules regarding the use of notes or aids during penalty kicks in European-leagues and the Premier-League.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the use of penalty cheat sheets, Hannah Hampton's tactic proved to be effective as England retained their European crown by defeating Spain 3-1 on penalties, earning a place in the history books as the first nation to retain the women's Euros since 2013.
