Question Number: 34389

Law 14 - The Penalty kick 10/22/2021

RE: Adult

Kevin Green of Skipton, England asks...

VAR ask the ref to check a penalty decision after the half or full time whistle and a penalty is awarded.
The penalty is saved, but the ball remains in play, is that the end of the half/game or can a goal still be scored?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kevin
Thanks for the question.
This very situation happened in a recent Manchester United v Leicester City game.
The referee blew for full time and VAR advised the referee that there was a deliberate handling before the final whistle.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NnhZOHHytos
At approximately 1.20 the incident is shown where the referee blows the whiistle to end the game yet VAR intervened.
As the penalty kick had to be last kick of the game as time had fully expired the referee just went with a regular penalty kick set up. The game ended with the goal scored yet had it rebounded the referee had to be ultra quick on the whistle to stop any follow up. He would have no choice but to end the game on a miss as time had fully elapsed.
So the ball cannot be touched for a second time by any player other than the goalkeeper who can make a save to stop the ball rebounding off a post etc.

It s a pretty rare event as most referee will rarely end the game on a penalty award.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Kevin,
In the scenario you describe, additional time is being allowed for the penalty to be taken. In this situation, Law 14 says that:

"When additional time is allowed, the penalty kick is completed when, after the kick has been taken, the ball stops moving, goes out of play, is played by any player (including the kicker) other than the defending goalkeeper, or the referee stops play for an offence by the kicker or the kicker’s team."

Once the penalty is saved, play has perhaps not quite completely ended but as ref McHugh points out, no-one other than the keeper can touch the ball. So a goal cannot be scored unless, despite the initial save, the ball's spin and/or momentum then carries it into the net. Certainly, there can be no follow up by either the penalty taker, or any outfield player on either side.