Question Number: 30765

Kicks From The Penalty mark 9/15/2016

RE: TRAVEL PREMIER Other

Kris of CT, NEW ENGLAND USA asks...

In order to break a tie in US youth soccer the two teams will use a penalty kick shootout to determine the winner of the match. I understand the details of Law 14 Penalty Kicks but I am uncertain about a few things:
What are the requirements for who may take a PK(only field players or anyone on the roster?)and how many penalty kicks are the minimum number needed to determine a winner (Like 5 or 7 and the other team can not catch up)? Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Kris,
There is a separate section in the laws on Kicks From The Mark under Procedures to Determine the Winner of the Match. This outline the particular procedures.
In answer to your specific questions, only players on the field at the end of extra time may participate in KFTM. No subs are allowed at this time.
If the goalkeeper becomes injured during KFTM he may be substituted if the team has eligible remaining substitutes.
The minimum number of kicks is 5, but if it is impossible for one team to catch up this may be cut short - so 3 kicks may be enough if the score is 3-0 at the conclusion of both team's third kick.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

In addition to what Ref Wright has written, if after both teams have taken 5 kicks the same number of goals has been scored, kicks will continue with one player from each team taking a kick until the tie has been broken. If all players on both teams have taken kicks, we go to a second round. The order of players in the second round does not have to be the same as the first.

Should one team have fewer players* than the other, we do what is called 'reduce to equate'. The team with more players decides who will not be taking part. But you can't let the goalkeeper leave - players are players, regardless of position.
* - for example, if there were injuries and no substitutes available, or if someone has been sent off.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kris
The Laws of the Game have a section on the procedure for Kicks from the Penalty Mark. It is under law 10 page 71 of the current law book.
To answer your questions
1 only players ON the field of play at the end of the game can take a penalty
2. Team must take 5 kicks unless one team cannot score more than the opponents. So should a team misses three penalties and its opponents score three the kicks are over as the team cannot now score three.
3. If the teams are tied after 5 penalties the kicks continue in sudden death mode in that if one team scores and the other misses the scoring team us deemed the winner.
4. A player cannot rake a second kick until all the players on his team on the FOP has taken a kick.

Referees should have a good knowledge of Law 10 KFTPM as it is vital that the referee makes no errors or allows something untoward to happen in the kicks which can result in a protest.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

As usual, my other referee colleagues have already addressed the main points at issue. One interesting wrinkle that was clarified (although not changed) in the latest Laws update is that the referee does not need to be informed of either the names or the order of the kickers - neither for the first five participants nor for the subsequent kickers (if any). The referee simply has to ensure that no player takes a second kick before all other eligible players have done so.

Although the Laws did not actually require the names and order of the first five kickers to be given, it had become a widely-accepted practice and had even led to situations where referees had refused to let a particular player take a kick because they believed (incorrectly, as it turns out) that the order had to be strictly adhered to.