Question Number: 30592

Law 14 - Penalty kick 7/11/2016

RE: Any Other

former youth ref of Hordaland, Norway asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30202

Time is extended for a penalty kick in a game played under FIFA rules. The attacking players have no reason to attempt to play the ball, but the defending players could conceivably prevent a goal by touching a ball spinning towards an empty net (unlike in a shoot-out). It doesn't seem fair to tell them not to attempt to play the ball, rather both teams should be told the half ends if anyone other than the keeper touches the ball (even if a defender kicks a ball that is almost completely past the goal line into the goal). What do you think is the correct thing to tell the players to minimise the chance of problems with the kick?

I also have two specific questions:
What if a) a defender deliberately handles the ball spinning towards the goal i.e. while it is in play, or b) a defender trips an attacker trying to reach the ball spinning towards the goal (assume neither of them paid attention, and that the ball was subsequently stopped by the keeper so there is no advantage).
My guess is that neither of these end the half, as there is a new penalty for which time must be extended.

Thank you for the site.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
First off I do not think it is a good idea to end a game on a penalty kick. It is a very rare occasion and I believe most referees would stop the clock at the moment the penalty kick is awarded and then restart the clock when all the conditions for the kick have been met. That may allow enough time for the kick to be followed up by both sides. The game can be ended when that has all been worked through.
Now the technical answer is that once the kick is taken with time fully expired no further play is allowed other than a save or subsequent save by the goalkeeper. So the referee would blow the whistle the moment the kick is completed and that is the referees decision to make That though poses problems such as fouls between the kick and the whistle to end the game and any other untoward incident at that time which can be frantic. Now as you say managing that in a game situation can be extremely difficult and a challenge to enforce.
Have a look at this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SqRQ_LZjCJI
Referee Michael Oliver awards a penalty kick in 5.38 of added time. He indicated that he was playing a minimum of four minutes. The referee allows the kick to be taken and then allows play to continue with Watford scoring a goal at the other end with 7 minutes showing on the clock. The referee then restarts the game with a kick off and then ends it after 10 minutes of added time. I am of the opinion that the referee was somewhat generous with the timing here and found time to see out the penalty and the extra play afterwards.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

I'm going to differ from my esteemed colleague here - if a Penalty Kick is awarded in the dying seconds of the match then extending time purely for the outcome of the kick is the approach I would take. Though I respect the argument that, given stoppage time is an approximation, you can probably find a few more seconds. However, in matches with instructions to not play stoppage time, that point becomes inapplicable so you are left with no choice but to end the moment the outcome of the penalty kick is known.

Because of the reasoning you've provided I argue it would be completely wrong to tell the defenders they cannot run into the PA because they can stop a goal. There is absolutely nothing an attacker can do to get involved so I'd say there's nothing wrong with advising them of that.

Assuming we're in a scenario where you've advised the players that time ends on the PK, then the answer to your second question is easier than the first. I argue you wouldn't award a second penalty kick because the outcome of the first is complete (and the trip had no impact given the attacker couldn't get involved). If the defender deliberately handles the ball then it's tricky - the moment there is a touch by any other player, the PK is over. Therefore, I would argue the textbook answer is that the penalty kick is over.

But given the Laws weren't written with every possible scenario in mind, my 'real world' answer would be - are you sure there wasn't a second left of stoppage time where you could consider this normal play, thus put down another PK?

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 30595

See Question: 30597