The penalty kick is the closest thing soccer has to a freebie. On one side, you have some of the most talented shooters in the world. On the other, a goalkeeper trying to defend an area larger than 4.5 king mattresses.

But in the English Premier League, players are converting penalties at historic lows. This season, penalty takers have failed with nine of their 31 attempts for a rate of just 71%, the lowest in 15 years.

Strikers...