Question Number: 15289

Law 14 - Penalty kick 4/26/2007

RE: competitve High School

buck gibson of roswell, NM chaves asks...

hi I am buck gibson, I am a referee and a coach. I am coaching a middle school team right now and I was coaching the team on this call. penalty kick was being taken the ref signaled for the kick like he was suposed to. The kicker kicks the ball and the keeper blocks the ball away but not under control the kicker runs onto the ball and kicks the ball back into the net. My question is, is this considered a double touch being the keeper did not pery the ball in a controled maner or control the ball. I understood that if the keeper did not control the ball it would be treated as if the ball bounced off of the post.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Buck,
No you are misinformed ANY touch of the ball off the keeper counts as (another player)touch and the pk kicker is free to play the ball again. A deflection or parry either way the ball is available to be played!

Infringements/Sanctions
If, after the penalty kick has been taken: The kicker touches the ball a second time (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:
an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

hi Buck. Did the people that certified you as a referee do such a poor job that you think the keeper and the goal post are the same thing on a penalty kick? I mean no offense to you but the wording of Law 14 could not be any more clear. From Law 14

The player taking the penalty kicks the ball forward.
He does not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

The keeper is, always has been, and always will be "another player". he slaps the ball back to the player taking the kick, that player is free to kick the ball into the back of the net