Question Number: 12041

Kicks From The Penalty mark 1/7/2006

RE: Division Play High School

Lindon of Oxford, Mississippi U.S.A. asks...

Situation in high school (NFHS Rules). We went to overtime and then to kicks from the mark.

Each team had 5 shooters.

During the 4th shooter, the referee hands the ball to the shooter. She places the ball on the mark, the referee retreats to the goalline.

One AR was in the center circle with the other shooters and the other AR was on the goal line watching the keeper.

The center referee retreats to his position but right before he is set and before he blows the whistle.

The shooter fast kicks the ball very hard and it hits the cross bar. The keeper dives for the ball. The ball does not go in.

The referee yells "I DID NOT BLOW MY WHISTLE, REKICK"

The girl sets back up, the referee blows the whistle, she kicks it and makes it. Needless to say after the 5th shooter, the team lost by one goal.

Even though the referee was right in his decision did he ultimately forget the final unwritten rule in soccer "COMMONSENSE?"

Your remarks?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Lindon,
how do I say this succicently it is hard to fault the referee for obeying the laws, as a fact concerning play his opinion is uncontestable.

If you think about it, any action of KICKING the ball towards an opponent WHEN PLAY HAS NOT been restarted or PLAY is OVER could potentially injure someone NOT expecting it.
The act of taking a PK BEFORE being signaled is USB and carries a yellow card tag in my books IF I was going to retake!

I say If because when conducting PKs referees must IMPRESS UPON the players so they KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt NOTHING goes until the WHISTLE sounds or there WILL be consequences!!!. The Referee could have been quicker to call off the PK as he SHOULD be observing the PK. A quicker whistle or shout and it does not allow this question to come forth. Still I like the fact the referee was CLEAR in what he did and why he did it in ordering the retake. He made a decision , if you wish to know what another referee would do wait until it happens again!

Ps. In a highschool match similar situation you had.
My grade 12 ladies are tied after 5 shots.
In sudden death the opposition makes good on their 6th they were shooting first referee blows the whistle and says that is it.
We were not given a chance to shoot our sixth shot!
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 12042