Question Number: 35315

Kicks From The Penalty mark 1/2/2024

RE: Competitive Under 16

Eddie Wallace of Ireland, Republic, Tipperary Ireland asks...

Penalty shootout.
Keeper save a shot onto the post or crossbar. Ball immediatelyrebounds off his head into the goal.
Goal yes or no?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Eddie
Thanks for the question.
Most certainly a goal. 110% a goal. This has been asked a few times on the site due to the misconception that the ball has to move forward at a penalty kick in a penalty shoot out. Not so and that thinking is totally incorrect.
The relevant section of the Law 14 states
**When additional time is allowed, the penalty kick is completed when, after the kick has been taken, the ball stops moving, goes out of play, is played by any player (including the kicker) other than the defending goalkeeper, or the referee stops play for an offence by the kicker or the kicker’s team. If a defending team player (including the goalkeeper) commits an offence and the penalty is missed/saved, the penalty is retaken**
The same Law 14 applies to Kicks from the Penalty Mark.

So the ball can hit any combination of post, crossbar, goalkeeper, ground with the referee waiting for the momentum of the original kick to end and a goal is awarded if it cross the goal line into the goal. Obviously it cannot touch the kicker for a second time in which case the ball is called dead.

For those interested in the history of the game this current ruling goes way back to 1986. In that year a French player did just this in a penalty shoot out in a WC game between Brazil and France. The ball hit the post and the ball came back out and hit the Brazilian goalkeeper and went into the goal. The Referee from Romania Ioan Igna allowed the goal to count on the day and France went on to win 4-3 on penalties.
See this video

https://youtu.be/_nhvqIjgQ04?si=B9ZjekYnOCsZwuoo&t=4m00s
The late Jimmy Hill did not help matters in the commentary while the late John Motson got it correct

There was a lot of controversy about the French penalty kick at the time due to a wording ambiguity in the law on when a penalty was completed. The Scottish Football Association, as a member of IFAB, sought clarification at the next AGM of the law making body and it was agreed at the time that the referee's decision was totally correct and the wording changed to remove any ambiguity.

In the great rewrite of the Laws of the Game in 97/98 all that 1987 re-wording was removed and the current wording continues to reflects that original historic incident. BTW the referee on the day back in 1986 Referee Igna got it correct based on what he understood was the only possible outcome which was the ball was kicked and the momentum of the ball from the original kick carried the ball over the line. It just happened to hit the post and the goalkeeper to get there which was correçtly opined by John Motson on commentary.

My good colleagues Referee Dawson has posted a video of examples. Some were appealed to the relevant association and all agreed with reference to IFAB that all the goals were good.

In your case if the goal was awarded then the referee was 100% correct. If it was not awarded it was a misapplication of the Law and a basis of an appeal.
I hope it was the former with the goal awarded.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Eddie,
nothing to add good goal as the ball remains IN play unless the ball goes into touch or is until it has no opportunity to move under the power imparted at the taking of the kick and has not touched any other player, person or objects except the keeper, post or crossbar before completely crossing the goal line under the crossbar between the posts ! Here are a few examples .
https://youtu.be/c00b3876vHE


Cheers