Question Number: 32161

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 1/12/2018

RE: Other

Sadeq of Nablus, Palestine asks...

what should a referee do if the kicker of a penalty kick feints when he's completed his run-up and does not kick the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Sadeq,
According to the wording of the Laws, if a player feints to kick the ball after completing the run-up:

''play will be stopped and restarted with an indirect free kick, regardless of whether or not a goal is scored [...] the referee cautions the kicker''

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Sadeq,
The LOTG state an INDFK out in favour of the Keeper's team with the opposing PK feigner getting cautioned for the USB of trying to force the keeper off his goal line to which is a cautionable offence against the keeper.
If the PK feigner acts illegally thus forcing the keeper off his line given the feint was first the keeper is not cautioned due t0 the fact the restart out is already obtained by the illegal feigning action.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Saden
IFAB the law making body decided that it wanted to eliminate this unfair feinting at penalty kicks. While legal feinting is still permitted a player was not permitted to stop on his run up particularly at the moment of the kick. The principle was that goalkeepers should have a sporting chance of a save on a shot rather than diving with the ball being played into the opposite side. It had become a particular problem in South America where many in the game believed incorrectly that it was legal to do this stop. The web has many examples of players stopping right at the moment of the kick, the goalkeeper diving and the ball being slotted into the opposite corner. It was called a Paradinha which is Portuguese I believe for a *little stop*
https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=1m0s&v=jmEHynpR2vc
An example is shown in this video which at the time was viewed as legal in South America. It was always illegal in Europe. To ensure the whole soccer world was on the same page IFAB updated Law 14 to make it clearly illegal by spelling it out. If that kick was to happen now it is a caution for the kicker and an IDFK on the penalty mark to the defending team irrespective whether a goal is scored or not.
Prior to the Law change referees in Europe and elsewhere fully enforced Law 14 and saw it as an infringement which was a retake if a goal was scored and an IDFK if it was not scored. The caution was not compulsory. That has now all changed since 2010 when the law was updated and it is an IDFK whether a goal or not is scored and a caution throughout the soccer world.
Interestingly to even matters up if a penalty kick is retaken for encroachment by the goalkeeper that results in a caution for the goalkeeper.