Question Number: 32394

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 4/22/2018

RE: Under 18

Gareth cope of York , Yorkshire England asks...

When a penalty is awarded in normal play where can the opposition players stand .
Clearly it has to be outside the penalty box and all players on both teams seem to stand at the back of the box close to the D.

Is there a rule to stop them standing at the sides of the box ?

Or even on the goal line as long as its outside the box

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Garett
This is is covered in the Laws.
All players must be 10 yards from the ball and outside the penalty area and arc. In addition the only player that can be positioned ahead of the ball is the goalkeeper. All other players must be behind the ball and that includes the side of the penalty area should a player stand there.
Most if not all chose not to as it is 21 yards from the ball and a much less favourable position than 10 yards from behind.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Gareth,
Law 14 - The Penalty Kick, contains the following provisions regarding the positioning of the players when a penalty kick is taken:

''The players other than the kicker and goalkeeper must be:

at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the penalty mark
behind the penalty mark
inside the field of play
outside the penalty area''

So players could stand at the side of the penalty area but only if they are behind the penalty mark. They cannot be on the end line.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Gareth,
Yes there is ! I assume we are talking a PK not just a DFK? or INDFK?

the LOTG for Law 14 The Penalty Kick states the procedures to be in place BEFORE referee signals the PK to go ahead.
The players can stand along the PA lines perpendicular to the goal line but they must be a minimum of 12+ yards away from the goal line as the PK spot is 12 yds. As the ball is located at the 12 yd. spot, the D arc is the ten yard radius establishing the ten yards required from the PK spot. Players can not cut through or be inside the D arc at the taking of the PK until AFTER the ball is kicked.

Now for an attacking INDFK taken within a PA given it can occur as CLOSE to 6 yards from the center of the goal line there are some different LOTG applied.
Here if the distance to the goal line from the restart point is between 6 and 10 yards the defensive wall can actually place itself ALONG the goal line in-between the posts and under the crossbar. In all other aspects around the restart they STILL must honour the ten yard minimum distance in ALL other directions.

In cases where there are OUTGOING free kicks in the defenders favour. Be they INDFKs or DFKs. The opposition must be OUTSIDE the PA boundaries as well as ten yards away from any restart point. The opposition can not cut through the PA until AFTER the ball is completely outside the PA & so too the defenders must pass or kick the ball completely outside the PA to be in play before they can touch it a second time.

Cheers