Question Number: 26363

Kicks From The Penalty mark 5/20/2012

RE: Competetive Adult

Lewis Fried of Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada asks...

In kicks from the penalty mark, if one team is reduced to 10 players because it has made its maximum number of allowed substitutions and then a player is injured and cannot continue, must the other team reduce their number of players by one as per the Guidelines?

Does the same apply in a game with unlimited substitutions? If a team ends with 10 players because a player is off the pitch injured when the final whistle sounds, must the other team reduce their number of players by one as per the Guidelines?

Thanks

Lewis Fried
YRSA Referee

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Reduce to equate is done at the beginning of the Kicks from the Penalty Mark. If a team has less than 11 players due to injury or sent-off players, the other team selects players that will not take part in the Kicks, so that each team starts with the same number of players. It is presumed that the team that reduces will pick the less-capable penalty takers to exclude. So actually reducing is a benefit to them.

Once Kicks have begun, there is no further reduction. If someone is injured or sent off during Kicks, their team plays short(er).

Reduce to equate applies to all games that use KFTPM to determine a winner.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Lewis
In Kicks from the Penalty Mark the need to reduce to equate happens before the kicks. Only those players on the field of play or intending to return after the treatment of injury at the final whistle would be eligble to participate. An injured player who was eligble to be on the field of play at the final whistle would be afforded the opportunity to return and if he was unable then the other team would reduce its number to equate. The same would apply to games that has unlimited substitutions as no substitutions can be made after the game has ended.
Once kicks commence which is with the 1st kick then there is no need to equate if a player is injured or dismissed during KFTPM.