Question Number: 27855

Law 14 - Penalty kick 10/6/2013

RE: Recreational Under 10

Brian H of Seattle, Washington USA asks...

Situation is a penalty kick. I blew the whistle to signal the kicker to take the kick. While the kicker was in his run-up, the ball rolled off the penalty mark due to the slope of the field and possibly wind - it was not moved by the action of any person. The ball was about 1 foot/30 cm off the penalty mark at the time it was kicked. The goalkeeper blocked the kick and I allowed play to continue.

I now realize that no matter what I made an incorrect call, but I don't know what the correct call should have been. Was this a violation of the LotG by the kicker and therefore an IDFK for the defending team, or should I have awarded a re-take of the penalty kick under some sort of procedural rule?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brian
There was no offence here committed by the attacking team so it cannot be an IDFK. The player would have been entitled to stop his run up and ask for the ball to be replaced which should be acceeded to. The ball is reset and the whistle is blown again for the PK to be taken.
Now at Under 10 the player did not know what to do so he continued with the kick. In the scheme of things you made a decision to play on.
Perhaps play should have been stopped given that the ball had moved a significant distance rather than a trifling amount and got it placed correctly on the mark so that the kick could be taken in line with Law 14. At older age groups or open age that would certainly have happened.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The correct call would have been for you to blow your whistle and stop the kicker before he kicked the ball. Law 14 is clear:

The ball: ? must be placed on the penalty mark

The kicker committed no infraction. Since this was U10 and you allowed the kick to proceed even though the ball was not positioned properly, it's doubtful the kicker even knew the ball HAD to be on the penalty mark so he simply kicked it. At that point, you're stuck with your decision to allow the kick to proceed and have to treat it as if the ball WAS positioned properly. Besides, what harm was done by allowing the kick to be taken especially at this level. I think this is an instance where what you did was the "best" solution for that game.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The ball must be stationary on any free kick. If the ball was still moving at the time of the kick, you should order the penalty kick retaken.

Otherwise, I believe that you handled the matter well. Did the location of the ball - - caused only by conditions - - cause any disadvantage to the kicker or advantage to the keeper? No. Moreover, the kicker could have stopped and not taken the kick, if the kicker felt the ball was in a poor place for the kick. These factors strongly suggest that any infringement was properly ignored as a trifling matter.