Question Number: 33458

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 6/19/2019

RE: old man-50 years ago a goalkeeper Adult

John J. O'Hara of Berlin, NJ United States asks...

The June 1st allowance of a goalkeeper being allowed one step off goal-line on a penalty is fairer in my opinion. Why did they wait right before the World Cup to institute this? (causes goalkeeper confusion) Will this new update on Law 14 appear in next years' edition of LOTG. Thanks for answering my recent questions.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
All rule changes happen annually on the 1st June when the new LotG are published. Competitions starting before that date may apply the changes from the start of the competition, at an agreed point during the competition (e.g. after the mid-season break) or may delay them until no later than the start of the next competition.
Associations are able to apply for a dispensation on the implementation date as above and UEFA has asked that it current competitions should not be subject to the new changes.
So the UEFA Nations League finals and Euro 2020 qualifiers are not subject to the changes and that the changes would be introduced into all UEFA competitions from June 25 in line with dispensation from IFAB. For many that will be probably Aug / Sept.
FIFA decided that the Women's World Cup and the Copa America would be subject to the new Laws. Steep learning curve for some including the referees yet they have to accept it and get on with it.
I would also say that VAR has led to the provisions of Law 14 being enforced more strictly in the FIFA Women's WC. There has been a good few saves and misses that have resulted in retakes as VAR is totally unforgiving. Most recent ones in the Scotland v Argentina and France V Nigeria shows the strict enforcement. I think that GKs have become so used to movement off the line that they now struggle to adjust to the new law.
In a recent game I flagged encroachment on a kick in KFTPM. I would safely say that with VAR the GK might have been sent off. All the caution and retake did was to make the movement less significant and blatant.
The new Law book can be viewed here
http://static-3eb8.kxcdn.com/documents/793/103202_200519_LotG_201920_EN_SinglePage.pdf

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Each year FIFA will set out the new LOTG in June. Various association & national leagues could be in mid season or just ending and choose not to apply the new changes until the following start of the new season. Yet FIFA has all kinds of international matches played by men & or woman at various locations & times with different levels & ages throughout the year so they can choose to implement the LOTG as they apply given they are not CHANGING the seasonal considerations arbitrary but all groups are under the same set of laws, new they might be. Copa-america & Womans world cup is being tasked with the new LOTG from the get go. Yes there are certain aspects of how the VAR is being utilized that I abhor, the fact is the AR & CR opinion as to what constitutes trifling offences is being discarded. The TERRIBLE decision to retake the PK in the France Nigeria match is proof of the inability to decide when the match is better off without interference.
The keeper step out is certainly a worthy change but the mandatory card is still utterly ridiculous. Plus the fact is if the trifling aspect is NOT a consideration why then encroachment of the players is disregarded? I think the VAR should ONLY be used for unseen VC , mistaken identity, balls in or out of the goal and offside it is far too invasive and match altering in scope.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi John,
It's an odd one - because this law is actually enforced STRICTER than the previous law. The previous law required the keeper to be on the line - yet as I'm sure you know, it was largely ignored. The current law now permits the keeper to be a step forward if one foot is still on the line - so it's more lenient, but clearly referees at the WWC have been told to apply this one more strictly, causing a bit of confusion.

Personally I don't like the fact that the card for the keeper for encroachment is still mandatory.

Regardless, it is in the new season LOTG, so competitions commencing after 1st June 2019 will use it (along with a number of other changes).

As to whether local or national competitions will be as strict on keeper encroachment....time will tell.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi John,
This amendment is being enforced now because it is in the new laws for 2019/20 which were already published and are already in force. These new laws were actually published back in May and took effect on June 1, for any competitions starting after that date. Competitions that were already underway as of June 1 are allowed to continue with the old laws for now, if they so choose.