Question Number: 33988

Kicks From The Penalty mark 9/14/2020

RE: Professional

Hussain Jan Gramkani of Muscat, Oman asks...

after taking last penalty kick in KFPM (winning kick) player takes off his shirt and celebrates. Is it a caution??

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Hussain
It could be a caution if the referee was so inclined.
However as the game is effectively over with the result decided then I would not be cautioning for such an action.
I have seen such situations on the web with the last penalty kicker after scoring running off followed by most of his team mates. No referee is going to pursue a player to issue a card in those scenarios.
My advice is that the game is over and the referee should be focussing on his end of game routine.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Hussain,
It's a good question. The referee certainly still has the authority to issue cards at this point - and there are some things that you absolutely do want to issue a card for.
But ask yourself if this one is really necessary.
The 'shirt removal' caution is for removing or lifting the shirt over the head in celebration of a goal. If it's the last kick and they've won, I wouldn't be issuing that card. After all, he is celebrating the win, not the goal - and removing the shirt to celebrate a win is not a mandatory card.
That's how you justify it in the laws - and so you let them have their celebration and just start your end-of-match procedure.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Hussain,
As my colleagues have said, a referee could technically issue a card in such circumstances but I think if they did, they would probably be criticised for doing so. To issue a card for celebrating after the match is, to all intents and purposes already over, would for me, be suggestive of what is called 'gotcha refereeing.' This is where a referee looks for highly technical, rarely punished infractions and then seems to take pleasure in penalizing them to everyone's astonishment, a practice which I think is something best avoided.