Question Number: 30202

Law 14 - Penalty kick 3/18/2016

RE: Competitive High School

Russ Carl of Sterling Heights, Michigan United States asks...

At the end of a half, a penalty kick is awarded to the green team because the red defender recklessly tackled him/her in his own penalty area. Even though time has expired the referee allows the penalty kick to take place (this is within the LOTG). Upon taking the kick the ball bounds off the keeper and directly back to the kicker. Is the kicker, then, allowed to take another shot while the keeper is on the ground, say, or is time expired at the taking of the first kick? I think, as only the keeper and shooter are involved - and no other player - this is allowed, and if so, what if the shooter decides to dribble the ball 3 yards to his right before taking the shot (allowed then?) And finally, what if a teammate of the keeper's decides he's had enough with this and grabs the ball with his hands (in his own penalty area) and throws the ball out of play to stop the half? Is a new penalty kick awarded? Red card? Yellow card?

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Russ,

The answer to all of your scenarios is found in Rule 14-1-6 on page 65 of the NEHS Rules book: It states: If a penalty kick is taken after the expiration of time; (a)Only the kicker may play the ball and he/she may only play the ball once; (b) the ball is in play until its momentum is spent, it goes out of bounds, or is retouched by the kicker. Thus, in the situation that you describe above, as soon as the kicker touches the ball for the second time, the ball would be dead and the half would be completed. By the way, the same rule is in effect for the kicks from the penalty mark that are used to determine a winner when games are tied. I hope that you will have a successful spring season.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russ
The answer is the same in both NFHS and FIFA games. If time has been extended to allow a penalty kick to be taken then no further play by any player including the kicker is allowed. The referee makes a decision based on the outcome of the momentum from the kick. If the ball is subsequently touched by any outfield player other then the goalkeeper the game is over. It is one kick with no possibility of any follow up play such as a rebound by the kicker. It is akin to the way a penalty kick is taken in Kicks from the Penalty Mark. No follow up play is allowed.
Now all that has to be managed carefully through good mechanics. Players should be informed that there is no point in follow up as per a regular penalty kick plus once the ball rebounds back with no hope of it going into the goal off say the goalkeeper then play should be whistled dead. If the ball say hits the frame of the goal and then hits the goalkeeper entering the goal then a goal is awarded.
In respect of your last point the question does not arise as when a defending player grabs the ball the game has already ended.
Now the one caveat in a FIFA game is that the timing may not be as exact as NFHS with perhaps the referee allowing time for subsequent follow up play. That though is a timing issue rather the rule about time being extended to allow for a single penalty kick.
I hope that helps

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