Question Number: 30669

Kicks From The Penalty mark 8/14/2016

RE: REC Adult

russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30663

A related question to 'when is a penalty kick completed'.

Ref Wright clarifies that 'The kick is over once the ball has lost all the momentum from the kick'.

So what if the following happened in a KFTPM scenario.

The Kicker kicks the ball and the keeper guesses the wrong way, moving slightly to their left as they see the ball go to their right. The keeper effectively is still standing in the centre of the goal seemingly rooted to the ground. Not unusual, we see that often.

The ball hits the upright and rebounds back towards the keeper. With the ball still moving, the keeper thinks the penalty is 'missed' and (stupidly) kicks the ball into the goal running off thinking the penalty is over.

As unlikely as it is, what is the call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russell
The Laws do not deal very well with outlier situations. The referee in your scenario could determine that the kick is completed so no goal is awarded. He could also determine otherwise.
Have a look at this situation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xsG0yV0wam4
The referee determined that the kick was not saved and as the ball ended up in the goal he awarded the goal.
Now I have looked at this multiple times and I am still not sure if it was saved or thrown into the goal. There is still spin on the ball from the save and one can argue which no doubt the referee would do is that the ball was not thrown and it was all one action. The current wording in Law 14 is that ** The kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any infringement of the Laws.** That supports the refs decision here. The lesson for goalkeepers is to not allow it to happen.