Question Number: 14775

Law 14 - Penalty kick 1/31/2007

RE: HS High School

DARRYL WHITLEY of YUCCA VALLEY, CA USA asks...

REGARDING A PK......THE KICKER (JOE) ONE TOUCHES THE BALL SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND TO HIS LEFT, HIS TEAMMATE(BILL) BREAKS OVER THE PENALTY AREA (18)WITH PERFECT TIMING, NOT BREAKING THE PLANE OF THE 18 UNTIL THE BALL IS TOUCHED, AS THE BALL IS MOVING FORWARD, BILL DRIBBLES TOWARDS HIS GOAL, BEATS THE GK, SHOOTS AND SCORES. I CALL THIS SET PLAY "SPECIAL" I REALIZE I DIDN'T INVENT THIS PLAY AND IT ONLY WORKS ONCE. OUR HS TEAM RECENTLY SCORED ON THIS SET PLAY AND THE CR CALLED THE GOAL BACK STATING USB ON THE KICKER (JOE) FOR FAKING A PK. WE ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW, (PK KICK MUST MOVE FORWARD AND NO ONE PLAYER SHALL BE AHEAD OF THE BALL OR THE PK SPOT, AND NO ONE SHALL INFRINGE INTO THE PENALY AREA PRIOR TO THE KICKER KICKING THE BALL! ANY ADVICE OR COMMENTS ON THIS? THANKS AS ALWAYS, DARRYL

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

Interesting call - as described - and incorrect. Events like this are simply shameful (assuming that there was not in fact some other factor which influenced the offical's call). The game is all about goals and to errantly disallow a goal because of what appears to be a significant lack of understanding by the official is sad. While this event appears to be most unfortunate perhaps some benefit can be had if the referee gets clarification as to how they erred and corrects it for the next time it occurs. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Geez. Terrible call by referee. This is perfectly legit and should have been a goal.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Not even High School rules screw up this much. That referee certainly has creative interpretations of what isn't written. Joe and Bill managed to execute a difficult strategy - as you said, you can only use it once - and Joe is cautioned for his efforts and a goal is denied. I'd call for the referee to get some additional training, but I realize that isn't always necessary to become a HS ref. Looks like your area subscribes to the "any warm body" theory of ref assigning.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Darryl,
While we must learn to agree to disagree with an opinion of an event as in what a referee saw, it really bites the big one if the referee simply does not understand how to apply the law to what he sees!

That is assuming he saw the senario unfold as you claim! Admittedly if the player taking the pk had inadvertantly gone beyond a simple push pass to the right by a razzale dazzle step over the ball type move or the secondary play of the ball was a player who had been thought to have encroached (as an opinion even if wrong if it was what the referee truly thought I might be less troubled ).

If this senario created a result that was not to your liking as an erorr in law such an event is protestable! I am curious, where abouts was the restart, was it an indfk and not that he had to, but did the referee offer any clue as to what and why he acted as he did?? Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

DArryl
There's no such foul or misconduct called "Faking a Penalty kick"". What you did was absloutely legal if it's as you described. If your kicker kicks OVER the ball and then comes back and kicks it, that may be viewed as unsporting behavior. As long as the ball is kicked and moved forwards and the teammate was at least 10 yards from the ball at the moment when it was kicked, this is a legal and innovative play on your part. I'd continue to use it. You may want to give the referee a heads up.