Question Number: 33580

Kicks From The Penalty mark 8/17/2019

RE: Adult

Douglas Wix of Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom asks...

Hi. I am aware v.a.r.can decide on penalty retakes during normal play if the keeper is off his line but does this apply to penalty kicks in a shoot out or is it up to the 2 officials as A drain was well off his line when he saved pen against Chelsea. P.s.As a Liverpool was obviously pleased but still feel ref should have said retake. She reffed well & that was probably her only mistake.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Douglas,
As written, the VAR protocol does not differentiate between penalties taken during normal play and those taken during kicks from the penalty mark, when it comes to goalkeeper encroachment. And while there was a special dispensation from cautions for keeper encroachment during KFPM for the Women's World Cup, I'm not aware of any official pronouncement in this regard for other competitions. So theoretically, VAR could still get involved in this but I suspect that ref McHugh may well be right and that going forward, we will possibly not see such offences being the subject of a review based on input from the VAR very often unless the offence is egregious.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Douglas
Many associations are now choosing not to use VAR to determine goalkeeper encroachment at a penalty kick during KFTPM and it is left to the AR to decide as per in the past.
It is a fall out from the FIFA Women's World Cup where a few very tight calls were made using VAR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhSbih-N_AI
This was seen as technically off the line yet was viewed as unfair by the soccer world particularly when she did not even touch the ball? FIFA was also concerned I would think that it was going to end up as dismissals and or suspensions for goalkeepers late on in the tournament with the mandatory cautions.
As a result IFAB agreed to a dispensation on the use of VAR for penalties in KFTPM after that during the World Cup which has it seems continued into other tournaments.
Now when I saw the Adrian one I asked myself whether there was encroachment or not. From looking at the video, if the AR had flagged the movement it would have been correct and confirmed by VAR.
I suspect that the AR reverted to type by not calling this as a tight one and in some ways avoiding the wrath of the soccer world. The Womens WC decision was for me somewhat of a confirmation that the game does not want to call *minimal* encroachment and that then leads to what is meant by minimal. The Adrian one was minimal encroachment with his right foot some 5/6 inches from the line at most. Freeze frame @ 27s. Only one foot is now required to be on the line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Gj8RrPVq4&t=0m25s

In the scheme of things I have no doubt that had the AR flagged this she would have been berated personally for such a tight call whereas in the WC it was VAR that was berated. Technology does not lie nor does it have a personal life, feelings, deal with adversary or fallout
Personally I think the Law 14 is flawed with its wording still being too restrictive. To give a GK a sporting chance of a save there has to be movement and Adrian movement was in my opinion trifling at the moment of the kick not when he played the ball. It was simply a poor penalty kick.