Question Number: 21882

Law 14 - Penalty kick 9/4/2009

RE: High School

Chuck Fitzer of Center City, Minnesota USA asks...

This is a question about a penalty kick in a recent high school game. The kicker missed the penalty kick wide left (the ball went out of play). The referee said that the goalkeeper had moved forward off the line before the ball was touched by the kicker and ruled that the kick had to be retaken. A different player lined up to re-take the kick. (The referee did not warn the kicking team that they had to use the same player who took the original penalty kick.) The new kicker scored on the penalty kick. The referee disallowed the goal because a different kicker was used and awarded the defending team an indirect free kick from the penalty spot.

1. Was this the correct ruling? The situation is not addressed in Rule 14 -- it says the kick has to be retaken, but does not say anything about who is eligible to take the re-kick.

2. Is the referee required to inform the kicking team that they have to use the same player for the re-kick? One of my friends asserted this, but he wasn't sure where he heard it.

Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

NFHS rules do not address who must take any retake of a penalty kick. As such, there is no prohibition against a different player taking the kick.

If the reason given by the referee is accurate (we are often misquoted due to misunderstanding or ignorance), then the disallowance of the goal was wrong.

NFHS rules track the FIFA rules of play, deviating in a few spots. If there is no specific deviation, it is safe to assume the way the game is played in the world is the way the game is played on the HS field.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The referee was correct to retake but incorrect to award an indfk and take away the goal if the second pk kicker was a legal player!. This is clearly protestable as a miss aplication of law under FIFA and even with NFHS rules. There is nothing on law that requres the PK kicker to be the same on a retry only that he is legally able to do so as a player, and if a shoot out, has not already shot where others have not!
If the second kicker was substitute who came in at the pk stoppage apparantly under high school rules he is not permitted to take the kick but then the referee should be aware of that and not permit it to occur!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Under NFHS rules, if a substitution occurs during a penalty kick situation, the substitute may not take the kick. Otherwise, if a kick is ordered retaken, anyone may take it.