Question Number: 28590

Kicks From The Penalty mark 7/10/2014

RE: rec Adult

francisco leal of monterrey, nuevo leon mexico asks...

When deciding a playoff match with penalty kicks, if a player shoots the penalty kick, the ball is stopped by the goalie and while he celebrates the ball bounces into the net because of the spin from the shot... is that a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It is a goal. The penalty kick continues until the referee judges that the initial momentum of the kicked ball has ended. If it enters the goal before then (even if it blocked by the keeper or touches the crossbar), it is a goal.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

IT should be a goal! However an overeager whistle by an inattentive or uneducated referee can undo what should have counted if he blows and signals the pk over prematurely.
If you watched the recent World Cup semi final shootout between the Dutch and Argentina the very first kick taken had an unexpected dramatic effect as the Argentinian keeper was celebrating and the dejected Dutch player was crestfallen the ball very NEARLY rolled back into the goal stopping just short of completely crossing the goal line. That might have set a different tone for the outcome lol

LAW 14 The Penalty Kick
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
The referee decides when a penalty kick has been completed.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Francisco
I wonder if the Vlaar penalty kick in the World Cup for the Netherlands v Argentina promoted your question? Also the question has been asked many times on the site and regular viewers know the answer
Here is an example which is on the net and it has been shown as the correct decision.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_6-4vyrtWd8
The referee in that case correctly awarded a goal.
The history of these decisions goes back to a World Cup game in 1986 between France and Brazil. A French player while taking a kick in Kicks from the Penalty Mark hit the crossbar and the ball came back out and hit the Brazilian goalkeeper and went into the goal. The Referee allowed the goal to count and France went on to win 4-3 on penalties.
At that time there was a lot of controversy about the French penalty kick due to an ambiguity in the Law on when a penalty was completed. The Scottish Football Association, as a member of IFAB, sought clarification and it was agreed at the time that the referee's decision was correct and the wording changed to remove any ambiguity.
In the great rewrite of the Laws of the Game in 97/98 all that wording was expunged and the current wording continues to reflects that original 1986 decision and is quoted by Referee Dawson
Note there is no mention of direction of the ball or time it takes to cross the goal line. While the ground is not mentioned it is just assumed