Question Number: 22760

Law 7 - Match Duration 1/27/2010

RE: Competitive Under 14

John Taylor of Falkirk, Scotland asks...

This concerns a penalty award right at the end of the game.
I.e., a penalty is awarded right at the very end of time, including injury time.
Say that time expires prior to the penalty being taken.
I believe that the rules say that time is allowed to take the penalty, even though time is up, and the game is over once the ball is dead (i.e., it goes in the net or the goalie saves it. No rebounds are allowed).
Should the referee blow the full time whistle, letting the players/coaches know that the game is finished and then take the penalty, OR allow the penalty and then immediately blow the full time whistle?

I imagine most players/coaches don't know this rule, and there could interesting scenes, if an attacker scored with a rebound, that was invalid.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I wouldn't blow the whistle (except for the foul that caused the PK). Instead, you tell the players that time has or is about to expire, and the only remaining play in the game is the PK. You cannot require players to be in any particular location (other than outside the penalty area/arc as normal), but you can emphasize that no one but the kicker and keeper can play the ball, so there's no need for them to be toeing the line. The players must stay on the field though, because the PK is still part of the game. I would also doubly-inform the kicker that there will be no second play of the ball if it should rebound to him. Then off we go, and as soon as you as referee are convinced the PK is over, you blow your whistle.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

John, in Law 14 there is a special provision to take a penalty kick if time has expired at the half or the end of the game. It is called additional time.
This is how it works: the referee blows for a penalty during active play. His precise timepiece tells him that full time has been reached, which of course includes injury time. At this point he does not 'end' the game but sets up the penalty kick. In addition to all the things he does he will inform the kicker and the goalie that it will be the final play of the half or game.
If the ref were to indicate that the half or game is over, first of all he would be wrong. The game is not over, it is now in additional time. Second, if he does 'end' the game by blowing the whistle before the kick is taken, the players will start to wonder off the field and they are not allowed to do that. Now the ref would have a big problem in trying to keep them on the field. Third, once the whistle is blown to indicate the end of the game theoretically the game is over and the referee cannot reverse that decision.

Answer provided by Referee Tom Stagliano

John

Once you decide that the PK will be awarded, the PK will be taken. (It is not when you blow your whistle, but when you make the decision to blow the whistle.)

Now, a PK is a Ceremonial restart. It takes time to set up properly. It would be rare for less than a minute to be expended from the time the referee blows the whistle for the foul until the kicker takes the penalty kick.

Therefore, as the CR, you Know whether you are extending the half for the taking of the PK, or if there will be game time available After the PK is taken.

If I am extending duration of the half, (and I have all the time in the world to do this), once the players are lined up for the kick (behind the ball, outside the PA, the goalie is set and the kicker is designated), I will Announce LOUDLY for all those near the PA to hear: I am Extending the duration of the half for the taking of this PK. Once the PK is finished the half will be Over. The kicker may NOT play the ball a second time and other than the goalie, No one else will be allowed to play the ball.

I will then check to see if that has 'sunk in'. Most likely they will be asking anyway if the time is being extended.

I certainly do NOT want anyone hurt by chasing after a ball that rebounds from the goalie and is still on the field of play, when the Only one allowed to play the ball after it is kicked is the goalie, when the half is extended to take the PK.

Let the players know, after all it is their game.

Also, if once they realize that the half is being extended to take the PK, the kicking team may wish to have a different player take the kick, and the defending team may wish to have someone else as the goal keeper. You have all the time in the world, so you will allow that. However, know the substitution rules of your league, in case that subject comes up during the time extended to take the PK.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
The referee simply inform both teams that the penalty is the last kick of the half/game and as soon as the ball enters the goal the half/game is over and signal that to the players with the normal half time/end whistle. The referee will also have informed the penalty taker that the penalty is the last kick of the game and if the ball rebounds back into play with no hope of it entering the goal, he will blow the whistle to end the half.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Your calling the time added to a half 'injury time' is not accurate although television commentators continue to use this term. Time is added for assessing injuries, to get injured players off the field, for time wasting, substitutions, and any other cause. You are correct that if a penalty kick is awarded before all added time has expired but cannot be taken the half is extended in order for the penalty kick to be taken or if necessary retaken. Although the term "additional time" is used in Law 14 it's not really a specified amount of time that is added like is added at the end of normal time in a half. Rather, the half is extended until the penalty kick has been completed. The players all must remain on the field. And they must all be behind the ball outside of the penalty area and at least 10 yards from the penalty mark. Since this will end the half, I tell all the players that the kicker may kick the ball once, and only the goalkeeper may play the ball. Once the penalty kick is completed, the whistle is blown to end the half or game.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

The Laws of the Game say the duration of the game is extended for the taking of a penalty kick. Since time is being extended, there should be no whistle to end the period of play until the PK is completed, at which time the whistle ending the period of play should sound.

The referee decides when the kick is completed, which means the ball has lost all momentum, has exited the field either in or out of the goal, or has been saved by the goalkeeper and there is no chance of the ball entering the goal. No one but the keeper is allowed to touch the ball after the kick is taken, and the wise referee will have informed all the players on the field of this fact. If the ball rebounds off the goal and off the keeper back into the goal, it is a goal.

Law 7 requires the referee to make allowance for all playing time lost through stoppages for injuries, removal of injured players, substitutions which take longer that is necessary, for time wasted by any tactics or other manner of play, or for any other cause the referee deems necessary. This allowance for time lost is not solely injury time, it is all time lost to playing which then will be added back to the end of the period. The amount of added time is at the discretion of the referee, and once announced (usually within 1 minute of full time), more time can be added, but none can be taken away.