Question Number: 14968

Law 14 - Penalty kick 3/10/2007

RE: Adult

d frampton of durham, england asks...

Is a player taking a penalty kick allowed to stop his run up to confuse the goalkeeper and then continue to take the kick and score?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The player is allowed to feint. What this means is different to every referee. Personally, I'd allow the stopping and starting but other referees would not.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

FIFA's Q&A answers your question thusly:

Law 14 #13. A player taking a penalty kick feints before kicking the ball. Is this permitted?

Yes.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Frampton,
as mentioned FIFA Q&A states feinting is permissable! What acts constitute feinting and what acts go beyond the allowed gamesmenship of that act?

Within the laws of the game FIFA states
'A player taking a penalty kick may try to deceive the goalkeeper as to his intentions and such action is allowed. This is quite different from trickery, when the player stops his kicking action in order to make the goalkeeper move in one direction and then kicks it to the other. This is quite contrary to the spirit of the Laws and the player at fault should be cautioned for unsporting behaviour and the kick retaken if a goal has resulted. If the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred.'

The ussf position to further clarify the details stated there were four areas where misconduct could overstep the boundries of good taste all are extreme or excessive in nature
- he delays the pk after being signaled by the referee to proceed
- he runs past the ball and then backs up to take the kick,
- he excessively changes direction during the run to the ball, or
- he makes any motion of the hand or arm which is clearly intended to misdirect the attention of the goalkeeper.

In such cases, the referee could suspend the procedure, caution the player involved, and then signal once again for the kick to be taken. If the kick has already been taken, the referee should order it retaken only if the ball enters the goal. The player must still be cautioned for his misconduct regardless of the outcome. If the kick is not to be retaken (see above), the game is restarted with an indirect free kick for the defending team where Law 14 was violated.

I have no issue with the stutter step as long as it is not excessive. Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15036