Question Number: 29087

Kicks From The Penalty mark 1/6/2015

RE: Rec Under 16

Anthony Bolchover of London, Greater London United Kingdom asks...

The game has gone to a penalty shootout.Both red and blue teams huddle together with their managers.The blue manager then instructs certain players to do something very unsporting but unbelievably canning. Having assembled his defenders (who are clearly the teams' worst penalty takers,) he instructs them to got to the best penalty takers in the opposition red team and start a massive punch up. His strategy is very clever, what the manager is seeking to do is get all his worst penalty takers sent off (which would rid them of taking any penalties in the shootout and only the better ones would be able to take it, even if the shootout were to go into sudden death,)and hope that the opposition's best penalty takers either get injured or receive a red card for retaliating. This would mean that the red opposition's best penalty takers could not take any penalties and only the weaker ones could, resulting in a major disadvantage for the red team. These stage of events play out and having sent off all the respective players for red cards and for injuries, you realize the blue managers very unsporting intentions. What, as a ref, do you do?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Anthony,

The Laws of the Game state:

'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'

This means that if Kicks From The Mark (KFTM, aka 'Penalty Shootout') hasn't yet begun, as in your scenario, then if the referee sends off, say, 3 red players, the blue team must also reduce themselves by 3 players. So while the red team would lose it's weakest kickers, so would the blue team.

However, what if the red team started the brawl, say, after the first 5 kicks? The result is that 3 red player need to be sent off, so the referee does that. However, the problem is that the 'reduce to equate' rule only applies before KFTM, not during. So while the red team would lose 3 players, the blue team would not. The rule that each player needs to complete a kick before anybody takes a second kick still applies - so unfortunately, this means the red team may succeed in their ploy; their Number 1 kicker would then take his second kick against the opponent's Number 8 kicker.

There's nothing the referee can do about this at the time - he can only apply the laws as written. I'd suggest the wise referee would avoid sending players off during KFTM unless he has no choice - but when violence is being committed, he has no choice. He may, of course, choose how much discretion to apply on how to discipline the Red team if they attempt to defend themselves!

The only other thing he could do is report the incident to the league (while all cards need to be reported, it would be worth submitting a separate report for the overall incident). The Football Authority may take further action against the team.

Incidentally, in situations of severe violence, the referee can always determine that he can no longer guarantee the safety of the players and abandon the match.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Anthony
Under Laws the referee simply dismisses players guilty of violent conduct even if that happens before or in Kick from the Penalty Mark. He then ensures that both teams have an equal number of players on the field of play to commence the kicks. If KFTPM have already started there is no requirement to reduce to equate numbers on the sides .
In the scenario you mention there is nothing that the referee can do other than to enforce the Laws. What he must do is report his concern to the competition organisers in his match report. That situation most likely will be brought to the attention of the competition organisers anyway and it will result in a disciplinary hearing. The referee sending off reports will be matters of fact and the clubs, league etc will no doubt form their own opinion of the highly unsporting element of the actions which would probably result in serious sanction being taken against the club including loss of the game and lengthy suspensions.
While it might happen on paper it is unlikely in reality

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

In such a drastic case it likely my contempt for this tactic would render me livid they should chose my match to perpetrate it, so my decisions will reflect that and will add to my reputation as the chips fall were they may! You use the word massive punch up it sounds like a no brainer abandonment! SAFETY is compromised, the conduct is too extreme to be forgiven!
IF and it is a HUGE IF I felt no one's safety was at risk, otherwise we are abandoned right there I would simply note the attitude's and conduct in my report expecting serious ramifications, fines and suspensions that would likely cripple the blue team if not get them banned from all further competition and allow the shoot out to continue until the red team not cheating either wins or if the blue team was about to possibly win on the next shot I then abandon the match. My gut was telling me red would go ballistic if blue won the shoot out!
Cheers