Question Number: 31759

Kicks From The Penalty mark 9/5/2017

RE: select Under 18

daniel of vienna, va usa asks...

Regarding Determining the Outcome of a Match.

If a goalie is injured, LOTG states that he may be replaced by a substitute (who cannot participate in the kicks.) If somehow, it get's to the final round of kicks, both teams have used 10 kickers, team 2 has an 11th kicker but team 1 has already used all 10 eligible kickers.

Where does reduce to equate come in? The 2017-2018 LOTG does not mention reducing to equate. (Have not seen an updated Advice to Refs)

It would seem bizarre if the injured players team can add a player, but the other team has to reduce a player...

Ultimately, is it possible for 1 team to have a 2nd go around before another team finishes their kicks.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Daniel,

There are several misconceptions that require some careful rethinking the first might be that if the keeper is actually SUBSTITUTED during KFTPM the substitute keeper is in fact allowed to take part in the kicks. It is the substituted keeper, the one LEAVING, who is not allowed to take further kicks.

The issue in the number here is if the keeper exiting had ALL-ready taken a kick then his team with the new keeper will take another extra kick before anyone can go a 2nd time!

If the keeper was being replaced by a team member because there was no substitute option then the opposing team reduces a player.

IF however the team losing the keeper had already reduced to equate at the end of the match or earlier and reused the removed player on the bench so he could re-enter as a replacement, given he WAS on the FOP at the end of the match and would take a pk. The opposing team would NOT have to reduce to equate as the numbers stay the same!

AS the new LOTG now allow for equalization through out the procedure not just at the start. If the situation arose where a player was sent off who perhaps (a) had not yet taken a kick or (b) had taken a kick
the opposing team could equalize it with a player opposite or the same creating a possible circumstance of one team shooting a 2nd time ahead of the other by a player. The 2nd go around can be taken by any player in any order so perhaps the best PK kicker could be against the worst in a sudden death situation.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Daniel,
I'm afraid your question is based on a couple of misconceptions and/or misreading of the Law.

The Laws do not say that a replacement goalkeeper cannot take a kick and they do still talk about reducing to equate (although they don't use that exact phrase).

The relevant part(s) of Law 10 are as follows:

''If at the end of the match and before or during the kicks one team has a greater number of players than its opponents, it must reduce its numbers to the same number as its opponents and the referee must be informed of the name and number of each player excluded. Any excluded player is not eligible to take part in the kicks (except as outlined below).

A goalkeeper who is unable to continue before or during the kicks may be replaced by a player excluded to equalise the number of players or, if their team has not used its maximum permitted number of substitutes, a named substitute, but the replaced goalkeeper takes no further part and may not take a kick.''

So the law does say that a team 'must reduce its numbers to the same number as its opponents' - aka ''reduce to equate'' and they specify that it is only the replaced goalkeeper who may not take a kick, not the replacement keeper.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Daniel
Poorly worded law here. The exclusion of the goslkeeper from taking a kick refers to the replaced GK not the *new* goalkeeper who must take a kick when it is his turn to do so that is no player can take a second kick until all player have taken one including the substitute goalkeeper.
As regards reduce to equate Law 10 explicitly mentions this and I quote
* If at the end of the match and before or during the kicks one team has a greater number of players than its opponents, it must reduce its numbers to the same number as its opponents and the referee must be informed of the name and number of each player excluded. Any excluded player is not eligible to take part in the kicks (except as outlined below)*
Note the words before and DURING the kicks which means that at all times now both teams have to have the same number of players on the FOP, so if a player is sent off or cannot continue the opponents are afforded the opportunity to reduce by one.
The simple way to manage this is to only allow players who must take a kick to be on the field if play and then if one player is removed for whatever reason the opponent remove a player as well.. the assumption is made that the team that gets to reduce will chose a player who has not taken a kick. Picking a player who has already kicked will cause a problem for the sequence as one team will have started its second series before the opponents have taken all its kicks.