Category: Kicks from the Mark

Kicks from the Mark

Kicks from the Mark

FEINTING AT A PENALTY KICK

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Question:
This is a question regarding Law 14. While I know the kicker can stutter step or even change direction as they approach the ball, I believe that the kicker cannot come to a complete stop and then proceed to continue to approach the ball for the kick. Is this correct or have I misinterpreted something?

USSF answer (September 28, 2008):
According to the Interpretations of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees in the back of the 2008/2009 Laws of the Game:

LAW 14- THE PENALTY KICK
Procedure
Feinting to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of football. However, if, in the opinion of the referee, the feinting is considered an act of unsporting behavior, the player must be cautioned.

Feinting at a penalty kick is allowed, including a brief stop along the way to the ball.

The issue of “feinting” underwent a significant change in 2000. Prior to that time, the kicker was expected to make one continuous, uninterrupted move to the ball; in and after 2000 (based on the FIFA Q&A), certain forms of deception were allowed.

FIFA clarified in 2002 that the kicker may seek to misdirect (or feint) at the taking of a penalty kick. USSF, in a memo of October 14, 2004 on this subject, identified four specific actions by the kicker that could constitute misconduct:

– he delays unnecessarily after being signaled by the referee to proceed,
– he runs past the ball and then backs up to take the kick,
– he excessively changes direction during the run to the ball, or
– he makes any motion of the hand or arm which is clearly intended to misdirect the attention of the goalkeeper.
In such cases, the referee should suspend the procedure, caution the player involved, and then signal once again for the kick to be taken. If the kick has already been taken, the referee should order it retaken only if the ball enters the goal. The player must still be cautioned for his misconduct regardless of the outcome. If the kick is not to be retaken (see above), the game is restarted with an indirect free kick for the defending team where Law 14 was violated.
As to the goalkeeper leaving the line early, all referees are expected to order a retake of a penalty kick or a kick from the penalty mark if the ‘keeper’s movement off the line has interfered with the kicker’s ability to score the goal.

Referees should watch for the sorts of feinting described in the position paper of October 14, 2004, but should not consider all deceptive maneuvers to be a violation of Law 14 or of the guidelines on kicks from the penalty mark in the section of the Laws pertaining to “Procedures to Determine the Winner of a Match or Home-and-Away.” They should ensure that the run to the ball is initiated from behind the ball and the kicker is not using deception to delay unnecessarily the taking of the kick.  The kicker’s behavior must not, in the opinion of the referee, unduly delay the taking of the kick in any feinting tactic. Others would include changing direction or running such an an excessive distance such that, in the opinion of the referee, the restart was delayed; or making hand or arm gestures with the intent to deceive the kicker (e .g., pointing in a direction).

The referee should allow the kick to proceed. 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.

To this we can add only that more and more liberal interpretation is taking place throughout the world. The kicker is permitted to approach slowly, stop, take few quick steps, and shoot.…

Kicks from the Mark

WHEN IS A PENALTY KICK (OR KICK FROM THE MARK) COMPLETED?

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Question:
The final match of an international Girls U17 tournament ends in a 0-0 tie and goes to a shootout to determine the winner. The tournament is governed by U.E.F.A. rules.

One of the kicks taken hits the post and rebounding forward, hits the keeper a foot in front of the goal line and is deflected back into the net.

The referee ruled that once the ball had started moving forward off the post the play was dead and a goal could not be scored.

I believe the rules state that a referee is the final judge of when a play is ended, but I also believe he is supposed to let play continue until it finishes of its own accord. I’m not certain if the rules of play governing a shootout differ from a regular penalty kick.

Did the referee make the correct call? Should the deflection (and resulting goal) have been allowed? My daughter’s team was declared the winner of the game, but we’re curious whether it was handled properly.

USSF answer (July 28, 2008):
UEFA rules? Most likely you mean what we normally call “FIFA rules,” known to the rest of the world as “The Laws of the Game.”

Under the Laws of the Game a penalty kick — including a kick from the penalty mark to determine a winner — 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.…

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.…

Additional Instructions

KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

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Question:
Can you please clarify in Advice to Referees latest edition section 3.12 it advises: Under no circumstances team requires to equate in case it’s player is injured or ejected due to misconduct.

What need clarification is that it is only after the kicks from penalty mark started. In addition it says that even if there is one player only left, kicks continue while it should probably says two due to Goal Keeper. This came in a latest state written test

I have another question in regards to the taking of kicks from the penalty mark to decide a match. What is the rule if a player is ejected (or injured) when game ended but prior to first player taking the kick? thanks

USSF answer (May 14, 2008):
For everyone’s benefit, here is what Advice 3.12 says:

3.12 NUMBER OF PLAYERS DURING KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK
Only the players who were on the field at the end of the game (or temporarily off the field for treatment of injury or repair of equipment) may participate in kicks from the penalty mark. The kicks from the mark phase of the match begins at the moment regulation play ends (including any overtime periods of play.) All players who are not injured must take a kick before anyone on the same team takes a second kick. Only the goalkeeper may be substituted in the case of injury during the kicks phase and only if the team has a substitution remaining from its permitted maximum. If a player is removed from the field for misconduct or is unable to participate in the taking of kicks due to an injury, the contest continues without him or her.  Under no circumstances will a team be required to “reduce to equate” if the opposing team loses one or more players due to misconduct or injury. Although Law 3 requires that a match may not be started with fewer than seven players on each side, this does not apply to the taking of kicks from the penalty mark. If one of the teams is able to field only five or six players for the kicks, the taking of kicks may begin, and it may continue as long as there is one player left. Until a result is produced, both teams must continue to use their eligible players without duplication until all (including the goalkeeper) have kicked, at which time players who have already kicked may kick again. If one team has fewer players than the other, it will need to begin using again its players who have already kicked sooner than will the opposing team.
Note: It is not necessary for players to kick in the same order if a second round of kicks is required. (See also Advice 19.1 and 19.2.)

The process of kicks from the penalty mark (KFTPM) begins as soon as the referee has ended the final period of play. That is the only time that the reduce to equate principle comes into play: If one team has more eligible players at that moment, it must reduce its number of eligible players to match that of the other team. Once the beginning number of players/kickers for the kicks If a team loses a player through injury (other than the goalkeeper, see 3.12) or dismissal during the KFTPM, the opposing team does not have to reduce its numbers.

The reason that the number of players can drop to only one, if that becomes necessary through injury or dismissal, is that the normal minimum number of players does not apply during the KFTPM. Although it may seem strange, if there is only one player remaining, he or she can kick and then act as goalkeeper when the other team kicks. The player would not be performing both tasks at the same time. (And this is almost surely simply a theoretical thing, as no players would want their team down to only one player in this crucial situation.) The only difference in the KFTPM process would be that, while kicking, the kicker could not stand in the usual place for the goalkeeper during the KFTPM by other members of his/her team.

If a player is dismissed after the end of the game, but before the kicks actually begin, that player’s team will have one less player during the KFTPM. The other team does not have to reduce its numbers.…

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.…

Kicks from the Mark

KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

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Question:
Was going over the procedures on kicks from the mark and had a question concerning whether the goal keeper has to participate in kicks by taking a kick.
When I learned the procedures, the team supplied a list of the first five kickers and if the score was tied at the end of the first group kicking. The team supplied a list of the next 5 kickers and you proceeded in pairs until one team was ahead.  If still tied at the end of 10 kicks, the team supplied a new list of 5 players which could be any 5 players. The wording of the position paper implies that all players must kick (11 if there are 11). My question is must the goalkeeper kick.
The second question assumes the answer to the first question is that they do not have to kick. If this is true, but the keeper chooses to kick, does the 11th player have to be the first kicker of the 3rd set of 5 players given to the referee.
Was discussing this with a referee from Virginia who is currently at the university. He thought that all 11 players had to kick. When I learned the procedures in the early 90’s that was not the case.
Thank you for your help, you do a great job.

USSF answer (April 7, 2008):
The Laws of the Game have never required that teams submit a list of players for kicks from the penalty mark. What you learned was likely a local (and erroneous) practice. If it is necessary, all players remaining on the field (or off the field with the permission of the referee) at the end of the game are eligible for kicks from the penalty mark and no player may kick a second time until all the players on his team have taken their kick. So, yes, the goalkeeper must kick if that becomes necessary.

What you learned some years ago is based on requirements of the National Federation of State High School Associations, not something used in soccer played under the aegis of the U. S. Soccer Federation.…

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).…

Kicks from the Mark

SEND-OFFS DURING KICKS FROM THE MARK

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Question:
There are two scenarios I want to ask for your opinion. Both scenarios take place during a tie-breaking Kicks from the Mark situation.
The first scenario involves issuing a red card after the referee has blown the whistle to start the kick. So, the referee blows the whistle then the attacking player does something that constitutes a red card. What is the procedure? Does the attacker forfeit the opportunity to kick?

The second scenario involves issuing a red card before the whistle starts the kick. A scenario for this would be the attacking player punches the other team’s last kicker while passing him to the penalty area. Does the attacker forfeit the opportunity to kick in this scenario?

USSF answer (February 13, 2008):
This is one of those made-up questions, right? We would prefer to receive valid questions that pertain to actual games, but will answer this particular hypothetical one. In Kicks from the Penalty Mark (KFTPM) the referee truly has only three people to manage at any one time and the pressures on the kicker, especially after the signal has been given, are such that it is unlikely he or she will commit a serious offense worthy of a dismissal at that time.

There are very few occasions when at the taking of KFTPM a kicker can get into trouble that would warrant a red card once the signal has been given. A second caution or the use of offensive or abusive or insulting language or gestures are probably the only two. We would expect that in either of those scenarios the intelligent referee would be able to manage both sorts of misconduct in a practical manner.  The second scenario is more likely, because it is quite likely that something will be said as the players pass one another.

If the kicker infringes Law 12 after the whistle but before the kick, the kick is taken by the same (in the case of a simple caution) player or by another player (in the case of a dismissal of the player involved) once the appropriate punishment for the infringement of Law 12 has been meted out.

If the serious misconduct occurs before the referee’s whistle, that player’s team is still entitled to take the kick from the penalty mark, after the player is sent off and shown the red card.…

Kicks from the Mark

KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

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Question:
I have a question on a subject that has come up before – kicks from the mark. I attended a tournament in NJ this weekend that claimed to follow USSF/FIFA rules. In the event of a tie, their rules said that “If a clear winner is not decided after the overtime periods, penalty kicks will be taken in accordance with FIFA “Taking of Kicks from the Penalty Mark””. So far, so good, but the rules then state:
o Penalty Kicks would continue as follows:
– Referee will determine goal to be used.
– Both coaches will select 5 players from their team – Only those players on the field at the end of overtime will
be able to participate in the penalty shoot-out.
– Referee will determine by coin toss of which team shoots first and what goal will be used.
– Five rounds of kicks will be taken.
– In the event a winner is not determined, coaches select the order of 5 of the remaining 6 players on the field at the end of overtime. Sudden Victory will follow.
– In the event a winner is still not determined. The coach will select any 1 players with “sudden victory” rules in effect. A player may not shoot a second time until all players have shot once.Unless I am mistaken, this tournament’s version of “kicks from the mark” may be wrong in three or four areas: (1) they require the coach to select five kickers at the start; (2) after five kicks, they require the coach to select five more kickers; (3) in the second round, they also require the coach to select an order of kickers (and I was told by an official that an order would also be required in the first round); and (4) if it is tied after ten kicks, they say that the coach will then select one player – I assume this means they assume that only the ten field players will be used and that the GK will be skipped, thus a kicker must be selected on Round 11�- otherwise there would be no need to select a player following the first ten kicks (however, the first part seems to contradict the following part that a player can’t shoot again until everyone has shot once).

In the past couple of years this is the fifth tournament I have attended where officials (and many referees) have insisted that teams must submit five kickers, plus the order in which they will shoot, prior to the beginning of a “PK shootout”. Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, three of the five events were in New Jersey. My assumption is that some people have been confused by NFHS rules and somehow combined elements from each, and that the mistaken procedure has then been passed along to other tournaments. By the way, perhaps of more concern, one of the officials who believed these procedures are correct said: “I have been involved in five high-level tournaments in the past year and every one of them required that the coach submit a list of five kickers in order prior to the start.”

Could you please give your comments on the procedures used by this tournament. Also, do tournaments following USSF rules have the right to alter procedures such as kicks from the mark?

And in a follow-on question:
A follow-up on the questions I sent to you earlier today. I found out that prior to OT, the center referee told both coaches that if the game went to OT, no coaches would even be allowed on the field for the kicks from the mark. Presumably they would just give him a list of the kickers and the order. I know that the list and order part is wrong, but is there anything in the rules at all to allow him to prohibit coaches from being on the field during the kicks? This again is supposed to be USSF rules.

USSF answer (June 18, 2007):
In the 2007 Laws of the Game, under “PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE THE WINNER OF A MATCH OR HOME-AND-AWAY,” we find:

Kicks from the penalty mark
Procedure
– The referee chooses the goal at which the kicks will be taken
– The referee tosses a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss decides whether to take the first or the second kick
– The referee keeps a record of the kicks being taken
– Subject to the conditions explained below, both teams take five kicks
– The kicks are taken alternately by the teams
– If, before both teams have taken five kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could score, even if it were to complete its five kicks, no more kicks are taken
– If, after both teams have taken five kicks, both have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, kicks continue to be taken in the same order until one team has scored a goal more than the other from the same number of kicks
– A goalkeeper who is injured while kicks are being taken from the penalty mark and is unable to continue as goalkeeper may be replaced by a named substitute provided his team has not used the maximum number of substitutes permitted under the competition rules
– With the exception of the foregoing case, only players who are on the field of play at the end of the match, which includes extra time where appropriate, are allowed to take kicks from the penalty mark
– Each kick is taken by a different player and all eligible players must take a kick before any player can take a second kick
– An eligible player may change places with the goalkeeper at any time when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken
– Only the eligible players and match officials are permitted to remain on the field of play when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken
– All players, except the player taking the kick and the two goalkeepers, must remain within the center circle
– The goalkeeper who is the teammate of the kicker must remain on the field of play, outside the penalty area in which the kicks are being taken, on the goal line where it meets the penalty area boundary line – Unless otherwise stated, the relevant Laws of the Game and International F.A. Board Decisions apply when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken
– When a team finishes the match with a greater number of players than their opponents, they shall reduce their numbers to equate with that of their opponents and inform the referee of the name and number of each player excluded. The team captain has this responsibility.
– Before the start of kicks from the penalty mark the referee shall ensure that only an equal number of players from each team remain within the center circle and they shall take the kicks.

Further along in the 2007 Laws of the Game, under “GUIDELINES FOR REFEREES,” which will replace the old IFAB/FIFA Q&A, we find:

PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE THE WINNER OF A MATCH OR HOME-AND-AWAY
Kicks from the penalty mark
Procedure
– The kicks from the penalty mark are not part of the match.
– The goal may be changed only if it becomes unusable
– Once all eligible players have taken a kick from the penalty mark, the same sequence does not have to be followed as in the first round of kicks.
– Each team is responsible for selecting the players from those on the field of play at the end of the match and the order in which they will take the kicks.
– A player other than the goalkeeper who is injured may not be substituted during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark,
– If the goalkeeper is sent off during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark, he shall be replaced by a player who finished the match
– A player, substitute or substituted player may be cautioned or sent off during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark
– The referee shall not abandon the match if a team remains with less than 7 players during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark.
– If a player is injured or sent off during the taking of kicks from the penalty marks and the team has one player less, the referee should not reduce the number of players taking kicks for the other team. An equal number of players from each team is required only at the start of the taking of kicks from the penalty mark.

The United States Soccer Federation has not established any rules for kicks from the penalty mark that differ from those above. Some competitions may introduce slight variations, but these are not approved by the Federation. If a referee accepts an assignment in these competitions, he or she must follow the rules of that competition.

There are some universally-accepted points of procedure for kicks from the penalty mark that are not listed above:
The team (coach) may “select” from among those players on the field or temporarily off the field at the end of full time the players who will be the first five to kick, but the referee should not accept any list of players from either team. The same is true for the players who will take any kicks subsequent to the initial five for each team.

Coaches are allowed on the field for the initial consultation with their team prior to the first kick from the penalty mark. The referee may not ban them from the field unless they have behaved irresponsibly. They must leave the field of play when the kicks are about to begin.…

Kicks from the Mark

RESTARTS FOLLOWING AN “EARLY” PENALTY KICK

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Question:
[Two related questions came in. We have combined the questions and answers]
1. A question has risen in another forum concerning a statement in section 14.3 of the Advice to Referees. Specifically, at the taking of a penalty kick, if the kick is taken before the referee signals, ATR 14.3 asserts that the kick must be retaken, regardless of the result of the first kick. However, some very experienced and knowledgeable referees maintain that, if a PK (taken before the referee signals) is missed, it is contrary to the spirit of the game to allow the kicking team a second chance.My question is, is ATR 14.3 correct? Or am I misunderstanding something about fairness in this situation?

2. We had an interesting scenario here during one of our state cup finals. Game went to kicks to break the tie. One of the kickers approaches and kicks the ball prior to any signal by the referee. The kick does NOT enter the goal. The referee, based on discussion with AR, decides not to retake the kick.

Is this correct?

We have reviewed the ATR & FIFA Q&A regarding Law 14. Both make reference to attacker or kicker infringement based upon the referee signalling proceed with the kick.

USSF answer (June 17, 2007):
1. Yes, Advice 14.3 is correct. It makes no difference what “some very experienced and knowledgeable referees maintain,” because the Law is clear. There can be no change of the restart if it is taken before the referee’s signal. If there is an infringement AFTER the referee’s signal, then the restart can be changed.

2. It is implicit in Law 14 that there can be no infringement of the requirements of Law 14 before the referee has signaled for the kick. Therefore, any act that occurs before the referee’s signal cannot change the restart. If the act constitutes misconduct, the referee should deal with it accordingly.

Please note that, contrary to rumors, no announcement was made at the 2007 National Referee Certification and Recertification seminars that the referee could restart in such a case with an indirect free kick.…