Question Number: 22849

Law 14 - Penalty kick 2/22/2010

RE: competitive High School

neelesh lalwani of mumbai, maharashtra India asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22791

if the player shoots the penalty before the referee whistles does he get a rechance? and does the player get a rechance if crowd yells and he gets distracted on his own?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Neelesh
It is a requirement of Law 14 that the penalty taker must wait for the whistle before the penalty kick can be taken. If the penalty is taken before the referee's whistle it is retaken, no matter what the outcome.
In relation to distraction from the crowd there is no retake and the player/team accepts the outcome. At the highest level the crowd does play a part in penalty kicks and players have to be able to deal with both the distraction and the encouragement of the crowd. Some player are better able to concentrate on the task in hand and to remain focused despite outside influences. This is a skill that can be developed.
Having said all that if the penalty taker was distracted by an opponent on the field of play, then the opponent has infringed the Laws of the Game and if a goal is scored it is allowed but if it is missed the penalty is retaken. The referee is the judge of that distraction which could be the opponent shouting 'MISS IT' 'ARGHH' etc

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The penalty kick should be retaken if the whistle has not blown. While it might seem unfair for the kicker to get a second chance if the keeper makes a save, the 'always retake' restart ensures that the referee isn't deciding the issue based on which team benefits.

Crowd noise is generally part of the game, and players ordinarily must deal with it. The referee has the power to stop play to allow team officials to deal with extraordinary actions off the field of play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Law 14 is crystal clear on this. If the kicker takes the shot before the whistle, the kick must be retaken