Question Number: 27205

Kicks From The Penalty mark 2/25/2013

RE: Under 15

Alan Whelan of dublin, ireland ireland asks...

If a penelty shoot happens after full time and extra time where one team has 10 players and the other has 11 how many players should there be for the penelty shootout.
10 and a goalie or evened out to 9 and a goalie

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

For kicks from the penalty mark, the team with more players will be reduced so that at the taking of the first kick each team has the same number.

In your example, the team with 11 players will need to remove one. Each team will have 10 players who participate in the kicks phase (9 plus a goal keeper).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Alan
To be fair to the team with the greater number of players the Laws allow for that team to reduce its number to equate with its opponents before kicks from the penalty mark begin. The team should then use the opportunity to equate by removing a weaker penalty kicker or a player that does not wish to take a kick.
Once kicks begin the requirement to reduce is no longer available.
In your example both teams should have 10 players available to take a penalty kick, one of which is a goalkeeper.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Please note that the goalkeepers will take their turns at a kick. They could be part of the first 5, but if it extends to 10 kicks then the keepers will be kicking.

The team that has 11 players will excuse one from the taking of kicks. This is one of the few places in the Laws of the Game where the duty of a captain is spelled out - the captain will tell the referee who will be leaving the field.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Alan,

As my colleagues have stated, if the teams have different numbers of players at the start of the kicks from the penalty mark, then the team with the higher number of players will remove a player from the field to equate.

However, there is a peculiarity that's relevant here (and I mention it because I have actually seen this happen in a youth match) if, say, a player is sent off during penalty kicks then the other team no longer reduces to equate; the equalising of player numbers only occurs prior to kicks from the penalty mark.

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

See Question: 27210