Question Number: 19819

Kicks From The Penalty mark 8/25/2008

RE: Under 14

Terry Allen of Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia asks...

Recently I was involved in a match which ended in kicks from the penalty mark. The entire match was played in gale force winds and this created havoc when the penalty kicks began. Time after time the wind blew the ball off the mark before it could be kicked. Many players took the unfortunate step of digging a little hole in the ground so the ball would remain stationary, with predictable results (no one could kick it properly). What do the LOTG allow for in a situation like that?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 14 is explicit in that a penalty kick is taken with the ball on the penalty mark. Law 1 tells us players are to make no marks on the field. Because of that given the prevailing conditions and the ball not being able to remain on the penalty mark the match is abandoned. The referee will offer explanation in his match report and the league will sort things as their competition rules dictate.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Terry, in spite of the pressure put on the referee that he must have a result in the game, he should have used common sense in abandoning the game. It was incorrect for the referee to allow players digging holes as this is forbidden in Law 1. The player taking the kick is obliged to place the ball on the nine inch diameter penalty mark and that's it. If this cannot be done he may have to resort to other means to get a result. A coin toss would be an option but continuing PKs is not.