Question Number: 27703

Kicks From The Penalty mark 8/29/2013

RE: Adult

Mark Turner of Fortrose, Ross-shire Scotland asks...

In a penalty shootout, if the ball hits the post and then rebounds off the goalkeeper, should the goal stand? If it happened in normal time, it would be an own goal, but surely you can not have own goals in a shootout?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

This is a valid goal. The kick ends when the referee judges that the momentum of the ball has been spent. A deflection off the keeper, cross-bar, stick, rock, or the effect of wind does not change the result.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Law 14 says, in part, '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'

And in the Kicks From The Penalty Mark section, it says that all relevant Laws remain in effect.

So even if the ball takes a weird bounce before going in, it still counts.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mark
Most certainly is a goal and it has been that way for a very long time.
To quote the relevant section of the current Laws of the Game
'' 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''
As you can see there is no mention of direction of the ball just that it can hit any combination of the frame of the goal and goalkeeper indeed several times if there is enough momentum on the ball from the kick to carry it over the line.
Some suggest that this does not apply to Kicks from the Penalty Mark which is incorrect. The Laws state, ''Unless otherwise stated, the relevant Laws of the Game and International F.A. Board Decisions apply when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken''

This Law was clarified after an incident in the 1986 World Cup Kicks from the Penalty Mark between Brazil and France. A French kick rebounded out off the post, hit the Brazilian's goalkeeper back, and subsequently bounced into the goal. Referee Ioan Igna gave the goal to France, and the Brazilian captain was booked for protesting that the kick should have been considered a miss as soon as it rebounded off the post.
At its annual meeting in 1987, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) clarified Law 14 covering penalty kicks, on a proposal from the Scottish FA , to confirm Referee Igna's goal decision (who did not have the benefit of the current wording) which we have today albeit with updated wording.
You can watch it here at frame 4.00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhvqIjgQ04

The Law in 1986 simply said, "If the ball touches the goalkeeper before passing between the posts, when a penalty-kick is being taken at or after the
expiration of half-time or full-time, it does not nullify a goal."