Question Number: 22648

Kicks From The Penalty mark 12/15/2009

RE: Rec & Competitive Under 19

Rick robinson of Medicine Hat, AB Canada asks...

During a penalty shoot out, what are the laws regarding:

1) switching your keeper, both at full time and between shooters?

2) a shooter taking his turn out of order?


Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Rick,

Goalkeepers can be changed at every kick. There is a process, i.e. you have to let the ref know but a change could be made.
I am not sure what you mean by taking his turn out of order. Shooters must take there turn in order. This means each player, including the goalie takes a turn to kick from the penalty mark. If the game is still tied at the end of the first five shooters, the kicks continue with players taking their turn until all players, including the goalie have taken their turns until a team misses and the other scores. If all the players have taken their turn and the game is still tied a new order of who takes kicks can be made. This again continues until the whole team took a turn.
Perhaps you mean what happens if the order was messed up by the referee and a player took two turns before all the players have taken their turn. Give us an example of what happened and we will answer.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Rick
First off the goalkeeper can be changed at any time during a game and during KFTPM as long as the referee is informed and that he/she is properly identified as the goalkeeper. However it should be done in such a way that it is not gamesmanship by trying to delay the kicks or put an opponent off. Indeed if a team has not used all its quota of substitutions, an injured goalkeeper can be replaced by a substitute during KFTPM.
There is nothing in the Laws of the Game about the order in which players take a penalty kick in KFTPM. The only requirement is that every player must take a penalty before a player can take a second penalty kick. Custom and practise has developed over the years where referees look for a list of the first 5 players to take a penalty kick. This is to bring order to the proceedings and to ensure no delay with the 1st five kicks. What happens with the order for the six and subsequent penalty kicks when they arise?. The team decides who goes forward and their order. However I see the benefit in the list and the last thing anyone needs is a decision as to who will take the next penalty and so on during each penalty kick. It can also be stipulated as a competition rule that the team will provide the names and order of the players to take a penalty kick.
However if it is not a competition rule a team can change its mind IMO as it is entitled to do so and the referee may not insist on the order. Having said that during this year English Charity Shield game the referee would not allow Chelsea to change the order of players submitted to him. It is very difficult to protest the referee's decision on this order as many believe erroneously that is correct. Chelsea did not protest and went back to the original order on the 4th penalty. I have as yet been unable to ascertain the basis for that decision and whether it was a competition rule. Certainly an injured player can be excused from taking a penalty kick and if that happens after KFTPM has begun there is no requirement for the opponents to withdraw a player to equate numbers.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

During the kicks from the penalty mark phase, the keeper can exchange positions with any field player. A substitute may replace the keeper, however, only if the keeper is injured and the team has not previously used all of its lawful substitutions.

A team may kick in any order it pleases, and may change who it wishes to complete a kick whenever a kick is ordered retaken.

The laws prohibit any player kicking a second time before all eligible kickers on the team have kicked once. A violation of this requirement likely would lead to a protest.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 22655