Question Number: 35228

Law 3 - The Players 11/15/2023

RE: Undergraduate Adult

Hussaini Abubakar of Kankara Local Government , Katsina State Nigeria asks...

Can a subbed player play penalty in the laws of foot ball

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Hussani
Not sure what you mean by your question.

Any player, legally on the field of play, can take a penalty kick.
That means that if a substitute replaces a player at a substitution, that allows the entering substitute to take a penalty kick.

If a player has been subbed out, that player takes no further part in the game.

Obviously substitutes who are on the bench, cannot take part in the game, until, they become a player, under the substitution law in Law 3.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Hussani,
are you are referring to a PK in real match time, not KFTPM to determine a result?
As long as the team HAS not used up its quota of substitutions there is no reason a player could not be substituted prior to the PK restart occurring, as it is a stoppage. The substituted player would take no part of the rest of the match. The oncoming new player aka (the substitute) could then take the PK if that was the intent of the substitution!

What can not occur is, if a match ends, and KFTPM are required to determine a winner, ONLY the players legally on the FOP at the end of the match, can partake of those kicks . And then, ONLY, after reduce to equate, the selection where a player(s) could be removed to equal out the number of players on either team. if one had sent off players in the match earlier.

Yet even here, there is a slight chance of a substitution which applies ONLY to a single entity from both teams. If the "KEEPER" was to become injured and IF that team had NOT yet used up its' substitution quota earlier, it is remotely possible this new KEEPER could, as an oncoming substitute, now a certified player, actually take a turn at a kick. As no players can go twice until all others have gone once!
Cheers