Question Number: 33239

Kicks From The Penalty mark 4/13/2019

RE: Competitive High School

Scott Cubbage of Orange County, California USA asks...

A division final match has come down to KFTPM. Team A kicks first. After two rounds A is behind 1 - 2. At the third round Team A kicks and misses, then Team B kicks and makes. The count stands at 1 - 3 in B's favor. Team B's keeper yells, screams, cartweels, Team B floods onto the field, the Ref signals the end of the match, the ref team confers with the sanctioning officials present and files off of the field, and the trophy is awarded to Team B, to our dumbfounded amazement. Later, both teams are collecting their gear; Team B ecstatic, Team A devastated. Suddenly, as the teams are leaving the field, one of the AR's runs back onto the field and says that the match is not over and kicks must continue. One of the AR's cannot be found or recalled to the field, but the ref team still includes the original Referee. Team A kicks and makes, Team B kicks and makes. Game (really) over. Is this a legitimate result? Did the ref team set aside the laws of the game when they declared the early win?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scott
Very unsatisfactory really. The action of the goalkeeper may have *convinced* the referee that Team B had won. I am not sure what signal the referee gave to end the kicks.
On checking it with the AR or his own record it then emerges that if B missed its last two kicks and if A scored both it would be a tie which would mean sudden death. Now the laws nor rules do not take account of these type of outlier events.
We know that Kicks from the Penalty Mark are taken after the match has ENDED and unless otherwise stated, the relevant Laws of the Game apply. It is a way of breaking a tied game not subject to a defined end other than the score at the end of five kicks or sudden death after that. It is not like the game ending in normal time.
So in this instance I am of the opinion that the way the KFTPM ended while unsatisfactory was not a misapplication of the Laws as there is no defined ending to the kicks other than a result. As Team B took the fourth kick and scored after a delay with the referee present then that is the result. Sure the referee could say that when he checked his record of the kicks that Team Bs celebrations were premature and that he did not end anything or for that matter on the advice of an AR made the correct decision albeit after delay . The fact that the 4th kick was taken and scored confirms the result and it is the legitimate outcome.
I cannot see anyway to appeal this

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Scott,
The most charitable way to describe this is probably to say that it was an example of extremely poor mechanics by the match officials

As ref McHugh says, there was no actual misapplication of the law and so in the end, this was a legitimate result. Having said that, the manner of its achievement leaves a lot to be desired.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Scott,
This is an unusual situation that unfortunately, I have seen happen several times in playoff games. This is the first that I heard of it happening in a championship game.
High School games including those in California are conducted under the National Federation of High School rules not the Laws of Soccer. Under NFSH rules the referees have jurisdiction of the game until they leave the immediate surroundings of the field. Also, they can correct an error until the game has been restarted, so the rules were followed in this case.
However, state associations may also intercede in the event of an unusual situation, which I expect occurred here. Someone most likely informed those in charge of the tournament that an error had occurred and the officials were brought back to rectify the error.
it is good that the same team won, but obviously we will never know what might have occurred if the proper procedures had been followed.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Scott ,
poor mechanics and a loss of focus by the officiating team created a substandard feeling of distaste at the result. While we shake our head at the mess, it will not likely change the outcome. Just a bit of extra salt in an open wound!
Cheers