Question Number: 21320

Kicks From The Penalty mark 5/12/2009

RE: Fun College

Francesco of Kampala, Uganda Uganda asks...

We recently finished a tournament which ended up in controversy before the penalty shoot outs begun. The WHITE team changed the GK after the ref. whistled for the end of the match. They removed their GK and put in goal an FW, who played the whole time as a FW. Who was as good playing as a FW and GK. And all this happened after the ref had whistled for the end of the game. Now the ref. said that that was allowed and it was in the fifa rules but i cannot find anything about it. So i was wondering if this is something that can be done or not. To make it as simple as possible here's an example, final of champions league man u vs barca. After 120 minutes the score is 0-0 and the ref blows for full time and the match goes to penalties. Now before the penalty kick off, ferguson swaps rooney, who played the whole 120 minutes as a striker and puts him in goal in the place of van der sar who played the whole 120 minutes as a GK. All of this after the ref whistled for the end of the regular time.
I will await for your response.
Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

What you are describing is not a substitution. It is a change of player position. For most players that can be done at any time during the game. But because the goalkeeper must be wearing different colors to set himself apart from the rest of his team, the change can come only during a stoppage in play, and only when the referee is informed.

There is also nothing to prevent players changing position like this during Kicks From The Penalty Mark, as long as the referee is informed. It is in the Laws on page 51: "An eligible player may change places with the goalkeeper at any time when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken."

Teams cannot substitute players in (from the bench) after the game has ended and KFTPM has begun. The only exception is if a goalkeeper is injured and cannot continue. In that case a substitution can be made, as long as the team has not used up the maximum allowed by the competition rules.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Perfectly legal switching players, (which in truth is what the keeper is, with the special ability to use his hands while inside his own area) is fine as long as the referee is informed. Any of the players on the field at the end of the match can switch out with the keeper. In fact at every shot this could in theory be done! As my colleague aptly points out this is NOT a substitution!

It might interest you to know that IF the allowable number of substitutes has not been used up if by chance the keeper was injured in fact a new keeper could come in off the bench. The only deviation allowed as no other player can do so.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

At the end of all extra time, only the players on the field at that time may participate in the taking of kicks from the penalty mark. That said, ANY of these players may play as the goalkeeper. In fact, the coach could change one of these players with the current keeper at every kick by the opponents. The coach could not substitute a player not on the field at the end of the game for the keeper unless during the kicks phase the keeper is injured and there are remaining substitutions left.