Question Number: 18111

Kicks From The Penalty mark 12/11/2007

RE: PRO Adult

Gugulethu of JOHANESBURG, gauteng South Africa asks...

At the very end of a big cup final, the richest club cup in Africa, Telkom Knock out in SA. The match was to be decided on penalties. One team made a sustitution after the ref had blown the final whistle. The ref his assistant and match commissioner allowed the substitution to take place just before the penalty kicks were taken. The player in question took the last penalty and missed it fortunatelty and his team lost. Was the substitution in law? What does the law say since the blunder was allowed if it was ablunder by the refs? Was the match not meant to have been replayed regardless of the result? What should be done to such referees?

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

If the team had a substitution left, they could substitute for an injured goalkeeper, but only the goalkeeper. The player coming in is expected to act as the goalkeeper.

If they did not have any subs left that could not be allowed.

If the substitution was allowed for a field player then the referee was in error. Only field players on the field at full time are permitted to participate in the extra kicks. So the lesson is, get your kick takers into the match before the end of the match if you want them to participate in taking kicks.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I agree with my colleague that the substitution after the final whistle should not have been allowed. Since the team that did not make ths substitution won the game, there is no reason to protest the results. Had the game gone the other way, they would have been correct to protest, and in all likelihood the game would have to be replayed. This was a misapplication of the Laws by the referee, and one would hope that it was brought to his attention in no uncertain terms by the referee administration in RSA. A lapse like this is potentially a bigger a mistake than Mr. Poll's miscounting of yellow cards. The referees should not be allowed to continue in their errors unchecked. I'm not saying they must be stricken from the lists forever, but that they need to get things right.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

My colleagues have answered your question about the substitution. I'd like to add a note about the referees. It takes years to train a referee and it would be a shame to lose all that experience over a mistake like this. Education is the key. Part of the problem is many referees have not done Kicks from the Penalty Mark enough to know what to do if an odd circumstance presents itself. This type of mistake makes for great training material, and the referee should be involved in spreading the correction. If it was simply a mistake, the education should fix it. If there are thoughts that a more serious breach of ethics has occurred, the problem should be referred to FIFA and to the national association for South Africa.

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

See Question: 18118