Question Number: 28845

Kicks From The Penalty mark 10/13/2014

RE: Any - general question Adult

Elly of Melbourne, Victoria Australia asks...

A knockout game has gone to penalties, and then to the sudden-death penalties stage. It's approaching time for a team's player number 11 to take his kick. Knowing he's a poor penalty-taker (that's why he's been left for last), he proceeds to deliberately earn himself a red card, in order to allow his team to skip him and start again from the beginning, with their strongest penalty-taker. How should the referee react?

This question arose in another fan discussion. Some suggested that the offending player's would-be kick should be recorded as a 'miss / saved' (since he essentially refused to take the kick).

Others felt the game should be called off, and left to the FA to sort out who to declare the winner (obviously the other team, one would assume). What's your learned opinion?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Elly
The only possible decision is to dismiss the player and the kicker is replaced by another player. It is of no concern to the referee about why the player committed the sending off offence. The referee simply acts within the Laws.
The player could also feign injury / sickness which would also excuse him from taking a penalty kick and there are no grounds to record a miss nor any grounds for the game to be abandoned unless of course the opponents cried foul and refused to continue which is a huge risk for them to do so. Again if that happens the referee must accept the bone fides of the players action and allow another player to take the kick. If the opponents want to protest then that is of no concern to the referee.
I might point out that this would be quite an unusual situation and one that a player / team may think long and hard about because it will mean a suspension for perhaps up to three games plus it will bring the team into disrepute the memory of which will last for a very long time. In a knockout competition that is likely to mean that the player may not play any further games in the competition.
Some advice. Fan discussion forums will not give learned answers. A cursory glance at many of the sites sees all sorts of answers based on what the person thinks should be the right answer it based on a bias towards a team.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Elly,

integrity is a characteristic not restricted to the referee but is a choice of all who live and play. We have discussed this issue before and again wondered at the reasoning FIFA allows reduce to equate before KFTPM but not after it started if the idea is to make it fair or equitable? It is unconscionable to take a match that has been hard fought to this final stage and this is the way they want to win? Utterly Pathetic!

PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE THE WINNER OF A MATCH OR HOME-AND-AWAY
• If at the end of the match and before the kicks start to be taken from the penalty mark, one team has a greater number of players than its opponents, it must reduce its numbers to equate with that of its opponents and the team captain must inform the referee of the name and number of each player excluded. Any player thus excluded may not participate in kicks from the penalty mark
. • Before the start of kicks from the penalty mark, the referee must ensure that an equal number of players from each team remains within the centre circle and they shall take the kick
• The referee must not abandon the match if a team is reduced to fewer than seven players during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark
• If a player is injured or sent off during the taking of kicks from the penalty mark and the team has one player fewer, the referee should not reduce the number of players taking kicks for the other team. An equal number of players from each team is required only at the start of the taking of kicks from the penalty mark.
end quotes

It would be a sad affair to see what you describe occur.
A referee can bend the laws, try to apply the spirit of certain laws to conform to a reasonable outcome or follow tradition, to enjoy a sense of honor and acceptable fair play but he can not force players to do the right thing if they choose otherwise! Nor can he change or make up a law to suit his version of justice. At times it might rankle a referee to see a law twisted into something it was not really meant for but if a player wants to bail in this situation, if he truly lacks the confidence to accept the challenge?

I hold the opinion he is NOT taking one for the team, he either being bullied to do so or suffers from such low self esteem he can not crawl under a pregnant ant. Team sport, you try to get those on the pitch you think can do the job prior to the match ending. I know as a player I want the opportunity to try! I hate the idea of reduce to equate in its present form even knowing the tactical aspect. To point out to all, you suck, so you can not participate. Might be ok at the professional level but I feel certain it could hurt at the youth stage .

If it was being done, getting sent off is about as stupid a way as there is given the reasoning will be suspect and the duration of the punishment might well exceed the usual suspension times. Stick a finger down the throat, use those nerves to create, I am sick! Limp around right at match end to set the stage for a twisted ankle or knee. Your a frigging cheater what does it matter how you do it. Obviously this individual has no ethical dilemma or conscience to worry about. Only one team could do this if after the 11th shooter of the opponents had gone so no chance the other team's 11th shooter would feel compelled to reciprocate by faking an injury to reduce to equate.
In 50 years never seen it, hope never to see it still!

We try very hard to give reasoned correct answers even if we apply opinion to the circumstances.

Whether the opposing team might refuse to continue forcing the referee to abandon the match
Or
the match continues after the send off and the losing team decides to protest the outcome!

These are decisions by the league or associations not the referee to rule on.
As a referee even if we suspected the act was deliberate manipulation we can only report the circumstances and all relevant data supplied by our ARs or 4th.. When we are called up to answer questions in a review one hopes those asking are astute and honourable.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Elly,

It's a good question and one that's often been discussed on refereeing forums. I do believe this is a loophole in the laws that could cause a potential problem.

If one team has fewer players than the other before Kicks From The Mark (penalty shootout), then the team with more players must reduce to equate. However, if a player is sent off or injured during KFTM, there is no requirement to reduce.

This could mean, in theory, that a player does just what you've said - deliberately get themselves sent off, so that team's Number 1 kicker faces off against the other team's Number 11 kicker.

The laws require that the kicks continue. The referee cannot record it as a miss - it would be the team's Number 1 kicker versus the opponent's Number 11 kicker. It may seem unfair, but that's the law and there's nothing the referee can do about that.
The referee cannot abandon for this.

If the referee believed that this was what the player was attempting to do, and the offence is so severe that a red card is completely unavoidable, then the referee should also report this particular incident to the authorities - there may be a possible case for bringing the game into disrepute. This isn't for the referee to decide - he can only report the facts.

I'd also point out that if the other team were so incensed that they refused to continue and forced the match to be abandoned, then this probably would not go well for that team.