Question Number: 33921

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 3/12/2020

RE: competive Adult

alex wong of richmond hill, ON Canada asks...

law 14 states 'a player of both teams offends the LOTG, the kick is retaken unless a player commits a more serious offence'.
When both teams encroach the penalty area, the kick should be retaken as per the law. However, if the keeper also moves forward off the goal line, does this fall into the 'more serious offence' and the ref should penalised the goal keeper only?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Alex,
In answer to your question, when the law talks about a retake being the outcome when players from both teams encroach unless a player commits a more serious offence, then no, I don't think this applies to goalkeeper encroachment. The law actually gives an example of a more serious offence, namely illegal feinting and again, although this is just my opinion, I don't think the goalkeeper coming off the line is the kind of 'more serious offence' the law is intended to cover.

Having said that, and as my colleagues have alluded to, goalkeeper encroachment at a penalty is rarely punished unless it is a) quite, quite blatant and b) the penalty is not scored, but if it is penalised, the keeper is cautioned and the penalty is retaken.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

I personalty think they have messed up this portion of the LOTG. If there is TRULY simultaneous OBVIOUS misconduct PRIOR to the PK you retake no matter what happens.
Keeper off the goal line early creates a more detrimental situation to the PK taker then two boots a yard inside out behind him given the angle of the shot has been compromised slightly so if a miss occurs perhaps a retake is best where as a goal occurs but because the encroachment behind was noticeable if not really affecting play it could again be retaken.
The fact the keeper is supposed to be cautioned is in my mind a harsh additional punishment in these complex situations . If it was JUST the keeper off his line and an early attacker was just inside the PA (at exactly the same time) on a complete miss we should retake but even if a goal was scored it could not count, we should again retake. That said is anything EXACTLY the same time?
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Alex

IFAB in my opinion has over complicated Law 14 and the sanctions etc. It is now fraught with difficulties given the possibilities of who committed the offence, the type of offence and if a goal is scored or not and if the offence is more serious or not.
As a result my view is that referees now only look for the most blatant offences at penalty kicks.
Also offences rarely if ever happen at the exact same time so in this instances if the encroachment was by an attacking player first the kick is retaken if a goal is scored and an IDFK for encroachment if not scored.
If the goalkeeper infringes first and a goal is scored it is awarded and if the penalty is missed it is retaken and a caution issued to the goalkeeper.
I personally think that referees now do not look for the two offences yet usually pick the one which is the more blatant and obvious or for that matter let it slide once the offence has no impact on play.
For instance VAR only gets involved on player encroachment when the encroaching player plays a rebound.