Question:
The following scenario was told to me by a fellow referee at his game this past week.
The play unfolds as follows:
The referee calls a foul in the penalty area and indicates a PK to be taken. Players line-up outside the PA and the kick is to follow.
The ball is placed at the PK spot, while the referee is walking back to check with the keeper (to see if he is ready), the player taking the PK kicks the ball without the referee indicating so… The keeper makes the save.
The referee decides that the kick was an infringement, and awards the defensive team an indirect kick coming out at the spot of the infringement (PK spot).
My concern is as follows:
Did the ref make the right decision? Should he have had the kick retaken since he did not signal with a whistle. Does he have to blow the whistle for the kick to be taken or not? Should the PK have been retaken, and the ref just admonish the player on proper procedure?
How would you handle such an event and what is the appropriate action to be taken?
USSF answer (October 13, 2009):
Because the referee had not given the required whistle for the kick to be taken, it must be retaken in accordance with the Law, regardless of the outcome of the original kick.
