The goal used is selected by the umpires and the team to take the first penalty stroke is determined by a coin toss.
[2] Similar to a penalty shot in ice hockey, the attacker gets a chance to run with the ball in a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper.
[6] However, penalty strokes had already long been used in the Women's Hockey World Cup which started in 1974;[7] notably, the winner (West Germany) of the 1981 final was determined by this method.
Alternate tie-breaking methods were also tested; these including a trial in domestic Australian leagues where an extra time situation was used where "players from both teams are reduced gradually" after a fixed amount of time—the idea being that this creates space for a goal to be scored.
[4][5] The International Hockey Federation's view was that the shoot-outs "better replicate real game situations and tend to require more skill" and were a better method of tie-breaking.
[9] The second shoot-out was used to determine the 3rd place match in 2011 Women's Hockey Champions Challenge I.