Question Number: 20359

Law 18 - Common Sense 10/24/2008

RE: State semifinals High School

Mary Kot of Macon, GA USA asks...

Last night my son's team was playing in the state semi-finals. The game and two over times ended tied at 0/0. During the penalty kicks a boy on the other team took the kick before the refs whistle. Our goalie saved the kick. It was ruled a do over. The player did the same thing a second time. The goalie saved the PK again. The kicker was given a yellow card and allowed another do over. The third time the ball went in the net. What should have been the action of the referee? Can a player get three chances to take a penalty kick?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

By the book, these actions are absolutely correct. It doesn't feel good though, does it?

I can accept one mistake of kicking early - it's a tense moment and the teams are excited. But he'd probably earn himself a caution then and there, because he would have been told to wait for my whistle.

The second one is more troublesome. That player must have heard my whistle, or why would he have taken the shot? And obviously the goalkeeper heard it, because he was ready and stopped the ball. Am I the only one on the field who didn't hear the whistle? I hate when I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on. I must have signalled for the kick - no goal. We don't go to the third try.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Under FIFA law technically correct in letter of law but the spirit is absolutely crushed and in my opinion utterly un-defendable as a good faith decision. For the PK kicker to not understand he must wait for a PK signal FROM the referee, the referee must be a VERY, VERY poor communicator. To allow this travesty of injustice to flourish all I can think of is WHAT is the referee doing, WHERE is his focus? On the beautiful girl in row 3 just in behind the goal? We retake even once we will be ALL OVER the PK KICKER aside from a caution. There is no mistake or excuses as the instructions and procedures are EXPLAINED with eye contact, receive affirmative verbal or head nod Of YES I understand, stand in front of the PK spot, hand the ball to the PK kicker and watch him spot the ball to our satisfaction.

Only if there was a whistle from the crowd that COULD have fooled the PK kicker could I conceive of going again on a miss or save as I hit my whistle hard long and often to try and stop the run up even before the kick is on its way to the goall because I know the signal was not mine. I do not hear that other whistle then I will caution EVERY TIME at any attempt to go early no matter the result if I actually decide to retake. As my colleague states we obviously must of signaled, the Pk kicker could not possibly be that stupid and justice is done.
Cheers

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