Question Number: 14941

Law 14 - Penalty kick 3/4/2007

RE: Rec Under 13

Shane of Haleiwa, Hawaii USA asks...

Law 14 Penalty Kick 3/3/07

My player is taking the PK, Ref checks keeper and then my player advances two steps towards ball Ref blows whistle then takes 3 more steps to strike the ball into net.
The Ref then makes my player retake kick because he was in motion before whistle. Although he actually took 3 steps after the whistle. My player then retakes the PK to the keeper and no goal is scored.
Did the Ref make the right call?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

No because he blew the whistle signaling for the kick. Had the whistle not been blow, then he would have made the correct call. LOTG state that referee must signal and mentions nothing about motion.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

I do not like the mechanics but if a referee whistles to restart without checking to ensure all are participants are ready that is his problem. There is no set distance from the ball a player must be when the signal to begin is so 3 steps 4, 2 or 18 the run up is up to the kicker. Nor is a bit of motiontoo upsetting, unless, in the opinion of the referee ,we have an infringment! What that might be is up for debate!
At heart here though a referee is always right concerning facts of play !

Position of the Ball and the Players

The ball: is placed on the penalty mark.
The player taking the penalty kick: is properly identified.
The defending goalkeeper:
remains on his goal line, facing the kicker, between the goalposts until the ball has been kicked.
The Referee
-does not signal for a penalty kick to be taken until the players have taken up position in accordance with the Law;
-decides when a penalty kick has been completed.

If the referee gives the signal for a penalty kick to be taken and, before the ball is in play, one of the following situations occurs:
The player taking the penalty kick infringes the Laws of the Game:
the referee allows the kick to proceed.
if the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken.

Ok if we go down the list nothing seems amiss but this referee decided an infringment had occured. Now it is just my opinion of what if but assume that the early run up caught the referee by surprise, he is thinking your kicker had begun the pk without waiting for the signal so the referee allowed the PK knowing it would not count if scored and a loss of posession if missed! He may have thought the kicker was unfairly trying to put the keeper off as USB and that feinting, which is permissable, can only occur after the signal to begin was given. Lesson learned here the referee was a match condition next pk no run up until the whistle sounds!
Cheers