Question Number: 22601

Kicks From The Penalty mark 12/1/2009

RE: Adult

Herb Buchanan of stattsburg, NY Dutchess asks...

Recent Div 2 game. Shootout. The goalie makes a diving stop. ball rebounds up in the air, away from goal, the shooter and goalie walk away from goal. the ball hits the ground and spins back into the goal, rather slowly, from several feet out, as the ref walks after it, catchs up as the ball stops just inside the goal, and kicks it back to the penality mark. After some discussion, the 'goal' was allowed. No one toched the ball other then as I have described. Question.. When has a 'stop' actually taken place during a shootout? And what, if any, role does the ref have in determining that moment?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The ball is live as long as it still has momentum from either the initial kick and/or the action of the goalkeeper, and it has not left the field. Which means if the ball is saved, still has momentum, as in this case and it exits the field over the goal line, in between the goal posts and under the crossbar, a goal is scored.

The referee has the authority to decide when the kick is complete, based on the above criteria. From your description, it should have been scored a goal. I am not sure why the referee went after the ball at all. Generally that should be the incoming keeper or other player. But it is a minor point of order.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The referee decides when the kick has finished but she makes that decision based when all energy has left the ball. That is to say, the ball stops moving. Of course, the referee can incorrectly stop play before the ball stops moving.

In your question, did the referee wait until all of the ball had crossed over all of the line? If not, then he stopped play before the goal was scored

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Herb
The referee is the sole judge of when the penalty kick has been completed and that is when the ball has lost its own momentum from the kick or it has gone wide or clearly back towards the kicker with no hope of a goal being scored.
To quote the relevant section of the Law
"When a penalty kick is taken during the normal course of play, or time has been extended at half-time or full time to allow a penalty kick to be taken or retaken, a goal is awarded if, before passing between the goalposts and under the crossbar:
? the ball touches either or both of the goalposts and/or the crossbar and/or the goalkeeper.
The referee decides when a penalty kick has been completed."
If as you describe it the ball, on a rebound, hits the ground and spins in over the goal-line that is indeed a goal.
Why there would be any debate about this is unclear. The fact that the referee had decided that a goal had been scored and has retrieved the ball makes no difference.
You do not mention if the referee had any assistants to judge whether the ball clearly crossed over the goal line. If the referee was on his own he may have moved forward to ensure a better view of the ball and the goal line. While there he may have retrieved the ball out of courtesy for the next kicker or to speed up play.
Over the years I have seen a great deal of gamesmanship on KFTPM with the ball not being readily made available to the next kicker and the goalkeepers being tardy taking up positions or questioning the ball position. I try to ensure those do not happen and that the ball is close to the penalty mark for the player coming forward through my efforts to ensure it retrieval and the goalkeeper properly positioned on the line. That has no effect on the previous penalty kick

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Thanks to some diligent research on the part of a fellow panel member Gary Voshol a video link of the PK incident was made available for us to be viewed. This is a clear goal according to the way the current law permit ANY rebound of the ball off the keeper, post or crossbar. What is interesting once the keeper saved the ball from initially entering the goal is the keeper and shooter are both 100% convinced the ball is dead.
Do I hold the opinion the referee appropriately waited until the ball left the field (entered the goal) before stopping the ball and awarding the goal?
The referee does indeed move in to retrieve the ball but based on the referee's body language I judge it is solely to retrieve the ball for the next shot and it is the opposing keeper who is astutely pointing out the facts of law to the referee. Good thing no whistle was used to prematurely end the kinetic energy of the ball or the referee did not get got there a wee bit earlier and stop the ball from entering the goal!
Memo from coaches to all keepers: Full possession of the ball unless the ball is out of play into touch! Memo to all referees; Some players do know the laws!

http://www.lemoynedolphins.com/sports/msoc/2009/NEWS/20091122_msocncaaqtrs