Question Number: 24446

Kicks From The Penalty mark 12/29/2010

RE: Travel Under 14

Philip Loweecey of Amherst, NY United States asks...

Kicks from the Penalty Mark - Before kicks start, subtract to equate. But if after kicks have started someone is sent off, you don't (have to) even the sides. So what happens if it's the eleventh round, and only one team has a kicker? Does the short-handed team start the second round? If so, perhaps the full team wants to subtract to remove its weakest shot maker?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

This very question regarding 'have to', meaning could the team with more reduce if they wanted to, was recently addressed to USSF, and the answer was there is no more reducing to equate once the first kick has taken place.

Kicks may continue as long as either team has at least one kicker. That kicker would kick after each opponent until such time as one of them misses or achieves an unbeatable goal differential, at which point we would have a winner.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Reduce to equate takes place before the kicks begin. Once kicks start, there is no more reducing. Should one team have fewer kickers than another, they get to start repeating kickers sooner.

This is the way it has to be. If teams were allowed to reduce after kicks begin, there are scenarios when there would be no player eligible to take a kick. The only alternative then would be to abandon the game. By allowing kicks to continue as long as there is at least one player (who incidentally also has to serve as goalkeeper), a result can be determined for the game.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

After the first kick has been taken, the KFTPM continues until there is a winner unaffected by later injuries (except to a goalkeeper) or sendoffs - even if this means that one team has only one player taking each kick (and the other team has eleven players alternating)

Of course, the match normally won't reach the end of regulation time unless each team has at least seven players. Moreover, since the referee will indicate in the match report the circumstances concerning players sent off during the kicks phase, the league's disciplinary committee may impose a very harsh penalty for a team that has so many players sent off at a time. (What coach would risk a possible forfeit being declared by the protest committee?) But, that is left for the league; the only concern for the referee is to finish the kicks phase once it begins.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Philip
After KFTPM has begun there is no requirement to equate. So kicks will continue until there is a winner. If a team is reduced to one player that player will continue to take kicks and act as goalkeeper. If he is sent off before a winner is determined then the match is abandoned.