Question Number: 17823

Law 14 - Penalty kick 11/10/2007

Mark Burnett of Fuquay Varina, NC USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17745

Under law 8 - The start and restart of play

Table 8.6 Bottom row "Can a goal be scored directly DFK has the answer Yes, but only against the opponent." PK has the answer, Yes

I believed you have answered my question and thank you for the information. But the answer YES for a PK could be viewed as a blanket yes for either team.

And yes I had a game recently where the PK hit the cross bar and with the wind went past the goal keeper who was out near the center circle. The wind pushed the ball into the penalty area when a defensive back managed to put it out for a corner. So I asked myself would this have been a score? Where I see how you cannot score on an Own Goal on a DFK, the lack of the same wording for the PK in the table prompted my question. If you notice in the ATR every other Yes in that line has the Yes, but only against the opponent invocation.

Copy revised 2006

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Mark, I think what you are missing is a penalty kick is a direct free kick taken from a different location on the park having special circumstances that are outlined by Law 14. I believe it qualifies as such because in every case a penalty kick is awarded it's because a direct free kick offence has been committed by a player within his own penalty area. The only thing different from a normal direct free kick offence, one committed in the outfield, is the location of the restart and where everyone may be at the restart and, of course, the wall is at 12 yards and is only one man.

Further, when a reader continues on to Law 10 - The Method of Scoring, in the 2007 edition of Advice to Referees [ATR] he finds this:

10.6 OWN GOAL

An "own goal" scored by a team against itself is valid and is given to the opposing team. However, a team cannot score against itself directly from any restart which it has performed and from which the ball has properly been put into play. In such a case, the restart is a corner kick (the ball has left the field across the goal line, not counted as a goal, last touched/played by a defender).

Thank You for calling this possible ambiguity to our attention, we will see this is brought to the attention of the publishers of ATR.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

We took the liberty of asking the authors of Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game and it seems the "Yes" indicated for Penalty Kick will read "Yes, but only against the opponent" in next year's edition. Thanks for the heads up. Welcome to the world of making a difference! We appreciate your knowledge, perseverance and patience in the matter. And when next year's edition is on the street you can buy a copy and point to the change in wording and say "I did that". Cool!!!

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Mark, sometimes the Laws don't say things because it seems obvious to those who have grown up with the sport. I think that is why the Laws don't specifically note in Law 14, as they do in Law 12, 16 & 17, that you can't score against yourself. But as Ref Fleischer correctly notes, a PK is simply a more ceremonial free kick, so it follows that on a PK, the kicker cannot score against his own team. The logic is pretty simple - if only they were all that way! Great question, and we forgive you for mixing up the PK/DFK stuff. :-) All's well that ends well, yes? Regards,