Question Number: 21843

Kicks From The Penalty mark 8/27/2009

RE: Rec, Competitive Under 19

William Guynes of Mechanicsville, MD USA asks...

A question came up during our recent recertification course. Scenario: End of regulation, two periods of extra time completed, as the whistle is blown to end the second extra time red team has only 9 players on the field (2 having been sent off during play). According to competition rules, the winner determination will be made by kicks from the penalty mark.

Referee must now reduce to equate. Blue captain chooses two players, identifies them to the center, and they leave the field of play to the technical area.

Before the first kick is taken, a red player is involved in an altercation with a blue player and is sent off (VC).

So the center now has a decision. Reduce again?

2009/2010 LotG: 'If at the end of the match and before the kicks start to be taken from the penalty mark, one team has a greater number of players than its opponents, it must reduce its numbers to equate ...'

This wording has changed since 2007/2008 LotG. The addition of 'and before the kicks start to be taken' can be interpreted as an effort to allow the blue team to reduce again, otherwise red could be exploiting a loophole to get rid of their worst kicker.

Is this interpretation correct?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The kicks phase 'starts' when the match ends. This is why kicks can continue with only one player on a team, but cannot begin (when the rules of competition follow FIFA's recommendations) with less than seven players.

In plain language, reduce to equate is based on the number of players at the final whistle.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Reduce to equate happens only once, so your interpretation is incorrect.

From the 2008/2009 Advice to Referees:

3.12 NUMBER OF PLAYERS DURING KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK
Only the players who were on the field at the end of the game (or temporarily off the field for treatment of injury or repair of equipment) may participate in kicks from the penalty mark. The kicks from the mark phase of the match begins at the moment regulation play ends (including any overtime periods of play.) All players who are not injured must take a kick before anyone on the same team takes a second kick. Only the goalkeeper may be substituted in the case of injury during the kicks phase and only if the team has a substitution remaining from its permitted maximum. If a player is removed from the field or is unable to participate in the taking of the kicks due to an injury, the contest continues without him or her. Under no circumstances will a team be required to 'reduce to equate' if the opposing team loses one or more players due to injury or misconduct. Although Law 3 requires that a match may not be started with fewer than seven players on each side, this does not apply to the taking of kicks from the penalty mark. If one of the teams is able to field only five or six players for the kicks, the taking of kicks may begin, and it may continue as long as there is one player left. Until a result is produced, both teams must continue to use their eligible players without duplication until all (including the goalkeeper) have kicked, at which time players who have already kicked may kick again. If one team has fewer players than the other, it will need to begin using again its players who have already kicked sooner than will the opposing team.
Note: It is not necessary for players to kick in the same order if a second round of kicks is required. (See also Advice 19.1 and 19.2.)