Category: Law 14 – Penalty Kick

Law 14 – Penalty Kick

"Inventive" Refs

DON’T “THINK” TOO MUCH ABOUT POSSIBLE SITUATIONS

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Question:
I know these hypothetical situations from a bunch of refs sitting around with nothing better to do aren’t your favorite things, but hopefully you’ll be willing to address this one. We do generally stick to issues that have actually happened to someone, but this one came up and none of us feels certain to have the correct answer.

A foul is committed by the defense in the PA in the closing seconds of a tie game. The referee points to the spot and announces that the PK is being taken in extended time. He also reminds both teams that after the kick is taken, the only player that may touch the ball is the keeper, and that after the kick is finished, the game is over.

The kicker takes the kick, which is deflected by the keeper up into the air. At the taking of the kick, the keeper was on his line, and all other players remained outside the PA/behind the ball until the ball was kicked – that is, all the requirements for a legal kick appear to have been satisfied, and the only question is whether or not the ball will enter the goal. However, the keeper loses the ball in the sun, and it bounces off his back towards the goal. By all appearances it will enter the goal, however, a defender who rushed in after the kick performs a goal-line clearance.

I have gone back and forth on this. Does the game end as a tie (or go to extra time) because the PK was properly taken and did not enter the goal? Or is there a retake? I suppose a third option might be a caution for the defender and IFK in from the 6, but that seems out due to the extended time issue. In going back to ATR 14.7, it seems appropriate to categorize the defender comparable to an outside agent as he could not legally play the ball, and order a retake as “Although the ball was put into play, the team given the PK is deemed not to have had a fair opportunity to score under these circumstances.” A caution for the defender for UB would likely be appropriate as well – I don’t think you can send him off for DOGSO because the offense is not punishable by a FK (no FK in extended time) or PK (the PK is for the previous foul).

OTOH, 14.7 also says that if the interference occurs after the keeper plays the ball, it’s a dropped ball (from the 6 presumably), which would lead one to believe that the kick is in fact over despite the defender’s illegal interference, and all that can be done is to caution the defender and end the game.

Would you be willing to address this scenario?

USSF answer (June 24, 2008):
First things first! Your scenario, while admittedly hypothetical, contains one element that should never come up in any soccer game in which time is extended for the taking of a penalty kick: No players other than the kicker and the goalkeeper should be anywhere near the penalty area in which the kick is taking place. Allowing that to happen is a major referee error and hard to forgive. In this case, the (hypothetical) referee has sown the seeds of his own destruction.

As to the answer to your scenario, you have not yet seen Advice 14.13, which will appear in the upcoming 2008 edition of the Advice to Referees. It should answer your question:

14.13 WHEN IS THE PENALTY KICK COMPLETED?
The penalty kick or kick from the penalty mark is completed only when the referee declares it so, and the referee should not declare the kick to be completed if there is any possibility that the ball is still in play. In other words: So long as the ball is in motion and contacting any combination of the ground, crossbar, goalposts, and goalkeeper, a goal can still be scored.

A penalty kick or kick from the penalty mark is not completed, and must therefore be retaken, if anything unfairly or illegally interferes with the movement of the ball from the moment of the kick to the arrival of the ball at the goal. Examples of such interference would include the ball bursting on its way to the net or the intervention of an outside agent (e. g., spectator) while the ball is still moving to the net. Any interference that occurs after the ball has reached the net (resulting in the ball entering the net, missing the net entirely, or being saved by the goalkeeper) is handled as if the same event had occurred during play. The basic principle underlying this guidance is that the team taking a penalty kick or a kick from the mark must be given a fair chance to score and any illegal obstacle hindering the movement of the ball to the net must result in a retake of the kick.

In this scenario, the Law regards the defender as an outside agent and thus the kick must be retaken. The defender — who should not have been anywhere near the field — must be cautioned for unsporting behavior.…

Law 14 - Penalty Kick

TAKING AND RETAKING THE PENALTY KICK

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Question:
This situation happened in a U16 girls semi final match. The offensive player was fouled in the penalty area and a penalty kick was awarded. The teams lined up for the kick. The player taking the kick then took the kick before the referee blew his whistle. The keeper saved the shot. Then the referee decided that since he did not blow his whistle the kick should be retaken. The same kicker then again took the kick before the referee blew his whistle and missed the shot wide. The kicker was then given a yellow card. The referee then allowed the team to retake the kick again. The team switched kickers, waited for the whistle and scored on the third attempt. The game ended 1 to 0.

Should this team been allowed to continue to infringe on the rules and still be allowed to take the kick over and over?

Also should the team have been allowed to switch kickers?

USSF answer (June 12, 2008):
In most cases, infringements of Law 14 occur only between the referee’s signal for the restart and the ball being kicked and put into play properly.  Violations of the Law prior to the referee’s signal are handled the same as any other misconduct occurring while the ball is not in play.

The referee dealt correctly with the player who kicked the ball twice before the referee had blown the whistle: first a warning, then a caution, each followed by a retake of the penalty kick.

The team is allowed to change kickers if the kick is being retaken.…

Kicks from the Mark

KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

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Question:
This situation happened in a recent tournament (thankfully I was not involved in it!):

With 3 minutes left in the second OT of a tournament final and the score tied, one of Team A’s strikers (A1) is injured and is subbed out (unlimited subsitution rule in effect). He is thus not one of the 11 players on the field for Team A when time expires and the winner must be determined by kicks from the mark.

However, one of the AR’s does not properly do his job and Player A1 ends up going onto the field to replace the player who subbed in for him minutes before. (There is nothing particularly sneaky about this, and A1 may not have been aware of the USSF rule for kicks from the mark. In HS, of course, he could have legitimately taken one of the kicks.)

The kicks then proceed beyond the fifth players into “sudden death”, where A1 makes the kick that theoretically wins the match. However, the opposing coach immediately objects – stating correctly that A1 was not on the field at the end of the game. The CR, remembering the injury substitution, recognizes that the coach is correct.

So the question is:

1. Does the kick count, based on the theory that play has “resumed” since the illegal entry by A1, or is the goal negated, or does Team A get to re-do the kick with a legal kicker? Also, should A1 and his coach be cautioned?

2. Would there be any difference if A1 converted the first kick of the shootout, but his being on the field illegally was not noticed until several other players had taken their turns?

As always, thanks for your input.

USSF answer (June 3, 2008):
Other than the clear requirement that only players who are on the field or off temporarily with the permission of the referee are allowed to participate in kicks from the penalty mark, this situation is not covered in the Laws of the Game. The kicks may go no farther and the referee must include full details in the match report. The competition authority must determine what happens to this game.…

Illegal Gamesmanship

MISCONDUCT AT A PENALTY KICK

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Question:
I watched this one from the side line and wanted to know the correct application of the rules.

During a U13 girls match, the referee awarded a penalty kick. After the referee gave the signal but before the girl kicked it, the coach of the kicking team yelled out for the team to “watch #2”. The entire team turned to the coach and yelled, “got it, watch #2”. As they yelled, the girl took the penalty kick and scored while the referee and everyone on the defending team was confused and distracted by the yelling. The referee allowed the goal.

I thought the correct call should have been to stop the play, award a yellow card to the team captain (caution the coach as well) for unsportsmanlike conduct, and make the girl retake the penalty kick. I spoke with other refs and they disagree and would have awarded the yellow card to the coach, taken away the kick and awarded a IFK to the defending team. What’s the correct call? I see too much gamesmanship starting to creep into these youth games

USSF answer (May 9, 2008):
Some aspects of gamesmanship are perfectly legitimate, such as players from the team with the ball feinting at free kicks or giving misleading information to deceive or distract their opponents during the attack. Giving misleading information would be when a player calls for the ball, knowing full well that the teammate will not pass it. (Although it does not apply in this situation, the defending team is NOT allowed to do the same thing. That would be unsporting behavior.) The referee must learn to differentiate between those tactics which are legal and those which are not.

This orchestrated shouting, clearly an unfair tactic and counter to the Spirit of the Game, was a violation of the penalty kick procedure by a teammate of the player taking the kick. The referee should have disallowed the goal, certainly warned and possibly cautioned at least one of the kicking team players, and at least warned if not expelled the kicking team’s coach for behaving irresponsibly. Because the ball entered the goal, the kick would be retaken. (If the ball had not entered the goal, the referee would still have warned or cautioned the kicking team player, warned or expelled the coach, and would then have awarded an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred; in this case at the place just outside the penalty area where the player had been.)…

Kicks from the Mark

KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

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Question:
The match requires a winner. Regular and Extra time have expired and the score is tied. A blue player received a send off and the referee correctly reduces to equate leaving each team with 10 players. Kicks commence with no team gaining advantage. After the 9th kicker for each team the score is tied. Neither goalkeeper has kicked. The referee signals for a field player (blue) to be sent from the center circle and allows this player a KFTPM and the player scores. The referee then signals for a white field player to be sent from the circle.

At this time the white team coach notifies the 4th official that not all of the players have taken a first kick before his white team player is about to take a second. The 4th realizes there is a mistake before the white team player kicks. He is unable to get the referee’s attention and the white player takes the KFTPM and misses. Blue thinks they have won the match. 4th correctly does not allow any players or bench personnel onto the pitch and calls the referee over to consult. Referee decides to disallow both of the two kicks from players who had kicked twice and have the goalkeepers take their first kick instead.

You can probably guess what happens. White wins.

In conversation with other referees the difference of opinion lies with whether it is permissible for the referee to disallow the two kicks and then permit other kickers to take their first.

One group maintains that once the blue player takes the kick, on a signal from the referee, there is no going back as the match has been “restarted” when the ball is put into play. Since the restart was taken at the instruction of the referee once the ball is kicked and moves the outcome counts (barring any misconduct) and the referee, and the teams, must live with the outcome. (and the referee must make a full report to the competition authority) This opinion is further supported when the referee instructs the white team’s kicker to take their kick. The match has been restarted improperly after a goal is scored. No goal can be disallowed after the next restart.

The other group maintains that ‘fair play’ mandates that the two ‘second’ kicks be disallowed and that the referee correctly decided that the “restart(s)” had been improper.

Which would be more correct?

USSF answer (May 9, 2008):
In this case it is not a matter of fairness, but of fulfilling the requirements for properly executed kicks from the penalty mark — all players on the field must take their kick before any player may take a second kick. Despite the referee’s and other officials’ initial error in failing to keep a proper count of the kickers, the referee finally made the correct decision in voiding the two kicks taken in error and having them taken in accordance with the procedure laid out in the Laws of the Game. The officials will have a lot to talk about and learn from after this experience.…

Coach

COACH AND TEAM CONNIVING TO CONFUSE AND DISTRACT OPPONENTS

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Question:
Sometimes I referee a game in which a coach continuously shouts very specific instructions to one or several players for the entire game – essentially telling them every move they should make. Is there any restriction on this?

USSF answer (May 8, 2008):
As long as the coach or other team official does not behave irresponsibly by shouting abusively at the players or attempting to influence the opposing players through shouting false information, there is little restriction on that person’s activities. However, in that regard, we cannot forget the importance of the competitive level of the players as a factor in deciding what is permissible. After all, although there is no formal definition of “tactical instructions,” we have commonly recognized that this would not include choreographing every move, particularly for any match above mid-level youth.…

Kicks from the Mark

Penalty Kicks

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Question:
I know that stutter steps, etc. are allowed by players performing a PK, but what if something excessively elaborate happens (player is bringing the game into disrepute),

e. g.,

On the way to take the PK, the penalty kicker does a back flip or hand stand, etc. Obviously this is a cautionable offense, but what is the restart?

??? – Stop the taking of the kick, caution, and then have the kick taken correctly?

??? – Stop the taking of the kick, caution, and then award an IFK for the defense?

??? – another scenario?

This is probably in the Advice booklet but I thought I would get an expert opinion.

USSF answer (April 2, 2008):
You will find it in Advice 14.9. Summed up, in this situation we try to stop the kick from occurring but, if this turns out to be not possible, we follow the same rule governing other infringements of Law 14 by the attacking team (retake penalty kick if the ball goes into the net, indirect free kick if it does not).…

Law 14 - Penalty Kick

BACK HEELING THE BALL AT A PENALTY KICK

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Question:
My question involves yet another variation of the endless player tactics during a Penalty Kick. My brother brought up a good question I can’t seem to answer after checking both the Laws of the Game and Advice to Referees.
The scenario is as follows:
An attacker sets up for a penalty kick facing away from the ball, and uses a heel kick to take the penalty kick. There is no other violation of any sort.
What is the correct decision for this?

USSF answer (January 7, 2008):
No, this is not permissible. The referee must observe what occurs when the ball is kicked, just as it says in Law 14. if the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken. if the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team, from the place where the infringement occurred. For making a mockery of the game by kicking in this manner and thus bringing the game into disrepute, the player must be cautioned for unsporting behavior.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

MAINTAINING THE REQUIRED DISTANCE

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Question:
Indirect free kick for attacking team just outside the (opponents’) penalty area. An opponent moves closer to the spot of the kick before it’s taken and then he deliberately touches the ball with his handles. Ok caution, but retaken indirect free kick (for infraction law 13 – distance) or penalty kick (for handling)?

USSF answer (December 3, 2007):
We presume you meant that the opponent handled the ball rather than touched the ball with his handles (plus, we are not entirely sure where his handles would be).

What you describe is a classic example of the section in Law 5 that requires the referee to punish the more serious violation when a player commits two or more offenses simultaneously. Here, the opponent violated Law 12 by failing to retreat the required minimum distance (and compounded his offense by clearly interfering with the free kick). For this alone, the referee would stop play, caution the opponent, and restart by having the IFK retaken. However, the opponent also committed a foul by touching the ball with his hands after it had been put into play. For this alone, the referee would stop play, caution the opponent for committing a tactical foul if appropriate, and restart with a DFK (or, in this case, a PK if the handling occurred inside the opponent’s own penalty area).

Given that the two infringements were committed at the same time, the referee should stop play, caution for the failure to respect the required distance, and restart with a DFK (or PK if the handling occurred inside the opponent’s own penalty area). There is no issue of sending off the opponent for interfering with an obvious goal scoring opportunity because a goal cannot be scored directly from an indirect free kick.…

Law 14 - Penalty Kick

WHEN DOES A PENALTY KICK END?

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Question:
I am a youth soccer referee. Last evening, a match went to penalty kicks/shootout to determine the winner, during tournament play.

A penalty kick was taken, it directly struck the crossbar, then bounced forward (into the field of play), then struck the back of the goalkeeper’s head, who was “off” the goal line (without infringement) and bounced completely over the goal line, into the goal. Is this a goal?

I checked the FIFA Laws of the Game, and USSF Laws, several websites, but was unable to locate information on this matter.

THANK YOU in advance for your assistance in this matter!

USSF answer (November 14, 2007):
The penalty kick or kick from the penalty mark is not completed until the referee declares it so, and the referee should not declare the kick to be completed if there is any possibility that it is still in play.

To put it another way: So long as the ball is in motion and contacting any combination of the ground, crossbar, goalposts, and goalkeeper, a goal can still be scored.…