Question Number: 35671

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 8/27/2024

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,

one penalty kick question please.

Law 14: The player taking the penalty kick must be clearly identified.

The players other than the kicker and goalkeeper must be:
•?at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the penalty mark
•?behind the penalty mark
•?inside the field of play
•?outside the penalty area

How is the penalty kicker identified? Can he start run from where other players must stand? Or is he only allowed to start from an area where other players are not allowed?

(Where can he start his run? Alternatively, from what location is it banned?)

Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
it usually is the dude standing over the ball as he places it on the spot! As a referee we generally ask who is taking it, then hand them the ball to them, watching to ensure it is spotted correctly on the pk spot but if he says, No it ain't me and say a teammate or the coach has yelled out, "Let Danny take it!", once identified to the referee as the kicker, then Danny is the boy who puts the foot through the ball.

Remember a referee must signal the pk to go ahead and they can not do so until everyone is where they are supposed to be and no non-kicker player from either team can be closer than the ten yards (that includes being inside the D penalty arc)
The Pk taker who has been previously designated & identified can be outside the PK area to start a run up, but would be the only one able to close within the ten yards.
Plus any foolish antics if deemed inappropriate could get him cautioned.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Peter,
The Laws of the Game do not specify exactly how the penalty taker is to be identified but as my colleague ref Dawson states, the most common way would be simply to ask the players who is going to take it.

The player taking the penalty can start their run-up from wherever they like. There is no approved or banned area for start of the run-up.

Usually the player starts their run-up from inside the penalty area (so in an area where no other players are allowed to be) but that is not mandatory. I remember there was a penalty taker back in the 1960's and 70’s from my team, Middlesbrough, who used to start his run-up from well outside the penalty area, even further back than the players on the edge of the D.

See video below, starting at 1m 28s.

https://youtu.be/VHCFpcNc3NM?si=4BuJ7Cy3zj2UEoKM

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
I remember seeing a video of I think a game in South America where a player placed the ball for a penalty and then went outside the penalty area into a group of players including a team mate. The team mate ran forward and took the penalty.
That straight away should have been a red flag for a referee as the kicker must be identified. Generally that is the player with the ball that places it. In the absence of uncertainty a referee should ask who is taking the penalty kick. That can happen by not allowing the kick with a whistle as the kick cannot happen until after the signal has been given.

As to the distance of the run up taken that is not defined and it is left to the player to decide. Most players would not like to get involved with opponents and I suppose it is why the penalty arc is there to give a taker 10 yards of unrestricted space.

Anyway it is not going to concern most referees as the accepted practice is for the kicker to take the ball and place it before the run up. Anyone else coming forward to take the kick is encroachment for which the player is cautioned and the restart is an indirect free kick at the location of encroachment whether a goal is scored or not.