Question Number: 16357

Law 14 - Penalty kick 8/19/2007

RE: Competitive Under 14

Greg Weigel of Boise, ID United States asks...

Player taking a PK begins her run at the ball and stops, without contacting the ball, goes back to her original position and runs at the ball again and takes the PK, which scores. She may have gained an advantage by noting which way the Keeper was commiting during her first run. What is proper call and restart? Thank you

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If a player comes to a full stop, or goes past the ball and backs up, the referee should stop the sequence and have her start again. It would deserve a caution upon repetition.

It hinges on whether the referee sees the action as simply feinting, which is fair, or as being an unfair action.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

A kicker on a PK runs a huge risk if she stops on her run to the ball. If the referee believes the player is behaving in an unsporting manner, beyond the kind of play normally practiced on the field where one player tries to fool another so she can get by him, then the referee may stop the PK, and give a caution for unsporting behavior. The PK will then continue, with a kicker taking the kick (if the original kicker finds this was her second caution, she is red carded, and sent off; if the team wishes for a different kicker to take the second try, they must so inform the referee). If the referee is unable to stop the PK in time, and it is kicked, if it does not go in the goal, the restart will be an indirect free kick for the defense, on top of the caution to the kicker. If it goes in the goal, there will be a retake of the penalty kick, after the caution to the kicker.