Question Number: 32112

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/18/2017

RE: Adult

Paul Young of Evensville, tn usa asks...

does a player need to be completely inside the penalty box to be awarded a penalty kick

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Paul Merry Christmas,
in short NO!
The infraction must occur inside the PA which includes the 5 inch boundary line, the player could be partly inside or partly outside. On certain fouls it is a point of contact, a kick, trip, strike, push. jump, charge, tackle where as a deliberate handling the location of the ball dictates the restart others it simply has to occur, a spit or a hold Even the attempt to kick or strike or trip with no contact can still create the free kick location from where the contact could have occurred.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Paul
Once the point of contact of the foul is on the line the player is deemed to be inside the oenalty area and a penalty kick is awarded.
In real time it can be a difficult call to determine the exact position. In the MNF Everton v Swansea game a penalty was awarded for a foul on Lennon of Everton. The exact point of the contact was close to the line and the player fell well inside the penalty area. On balance it looked like a penalty and video replay seemed to confirm that. There was some contact before the actual contact that tripped the player on or inside the line
The holding foul can be easier to decide as the holding can continue for a few seconds which can be a few strides which bring the foul clearly on to and over the line.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Paul,
I would say that no, a player does not have to be completely inside the penalty area but the point of contact must be in the penalty area, while bearing in mind that the lines are part of the area they enclose - so a foul on the line counts as in the penalty area.