Question Number: 23689

Law 14 - Penalty kick 7/19/2010

RE: Competive Under 19

Benny Owyang of Alameda, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 95877

Can a player stop, take a step back, and continue several steps before the actual taking of the penalty kick?
Per USSoccer, an action which clearly is consistent with accetpable behavior while taking a free kick should be considered as falling within the category of acceptable 'feigning' where the restart is a penalty kick. I have seen players numerous times stop their run and/or step back and redirect their kick during free kick.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It depends. Here is what the 2010/2011 FIFA Interpretations has to say about feinting in Law 14:

Procedure
Feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of football. However, feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned.

If the stop is at the beginning of the run, no problem. If the stop is when the kicker reaches the ball, that is the infringement outlined above, as would running past the ball, backing up and kicking it after the keeper has already jumped. Both are unsporting behavior for which the player is cautioned.

It depends - because what is an acceptable feint will depend on the teams that day, the sophistication and experience of the referee, at a minimum. But if what happens on a player's run up to the ball screams unsporting to you as the referee, then call it. The amount of leeway is not wide or deep for players to feint - it's basically a little wiggle room.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

IFAB recently modified what is acceptable at the taking of a penalty kick (or kicks from the penalty mark). A kicker still may stutter step (run and stop and run) along the way to the ball. This remains a permissible feint.

Once the kicker reaches the ball, however, the kicker must kick it. The videos that IFAB reviewed and found unsporting showed a technique common in South America ('paradinha') and which led to violence in a world cup qualifier. The kicker would reach the ball. Stop. Pretend to kick the ball in one direction (causing the keeper to jump in that direction), and then the kicker would kick the ball softly into the opposite corner. IFAB intends that this technique be stopped.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Ho Referee Owyang
FIFA/IFAB has changed Law 14 in respect of feinting at a penalty kick. That change is now reflected in the current Laws of the Game. Feinting is still allowed as part of taking a penalty kick, however what cannot happen now is that a player feints to kick the ball, stops and then kicks the ball into the goal after the goalkeeper has dived. I always considered this as unsporting under Law 14 anyway but there was an ambiguity which was becoming a problem due the popularity of this tactic in South America. It is now clearly written that it USB, resulting in a caution for the player and a retake if the penalty is scored. If the goal is not scored it is an IDFK from the penalty spot.