Question Number: 28161

Kicks From The Penalty mark 2/6/2014

RE: select Under 11

steve frisone of yorba linda, ca us asks...

Our team went into a shootout last week. We were instructed to keep our players on the field so that only the ones on the pitch could kick. When we looked over at the other team, they had all 12 players (we play 8v8) on the field in a big circle. I am told that the other team even used players that were not on the field during the shootout. What should the ref have done when they put everyone on the field? He had no way of knowing who the players were that were on the pitch at the end of the game.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

This was the result of poor mechanics by the referee.

What should have happened is that the assistant referees should have kept all substitutes from entering the field. Only the players (and their coach) should have been in the center circle, and the coach should have returned to the technical area before the kicks begin.

We teach referees to blow the whistle once (not three times) so that while players stop and try to figure out how there was a file, the assistants can get in position to stop the substitutes from rushing the field. The referee can then direct the players into the center circle.

Unless someone on the referee team knows who was a substitute (and thus, ineligible to kick), this is a mess. In youth play, it can be difficult to know who is eligible to kick unless you keep the subs out. It is easier at higher levels with either limited substitutes or substitutes wearing pinnies. Fortunately, in youth play, the best kickers are usually on the field at the end of a tied match. It is rare that a coach would try to sneak in a pk taking specialist. That can happen with older players.

So, having dug a hole, the referee should instruct the captain/coach to remove those who were not players when regulation time ended, and include the circumstances in the match report.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steve
The referee crew erred here in the mechanics of Kicks from the Penalty Mark. Only those 8 players on the field of play at the end of the game should have been eligible to take a kick and allowed to stand in the centre circle with everyone else on the touchline.
Now I assume from your comments that there were rotating substitutions and it's doubtful whether the referee kept a detailed record of substitutions so that the last 8 players on the FOP were easily identified. If records are not kept then the referee crew has to put in place measures to ensure that the players off the field of play are identified and do not get to take a kick.
In regular games it is relatively easy to manage with the numbers of the final 11 being checked as per the substitution record and everyone else is asked to leave the field of play. For instance is 3 and 7 have been replaced by 12 and 13 then 3 and 7 cannot take a penalty and must stand on the touchline.
While not required in Law many referees ask for the numbers of the first 5 penalty kickers before the kicks begin. That brings some order to the proceedings and it also gives the referee crew some time to consider the eligibility of those kickers. For instance in the previous scenario if a team said that 3 was a nominated kicker then the referee and AR would pick that up straight away as being incorrect.
Now one final point. Some competitions could have a special competition rule in respect of who is eligible to takes a penalty kick in KFTPM in small sided games with rotating substitutes. In Futsal for instance all players and substitutes are authorised to take a kick.