Question Number: 35942

Kicks From The Penalty mark 6/19/2025

RE: Adult

Md. Rakib of Dhaka, Dhaka City Bangladesh asks...

If a player kicks the penalty before the refree whistle during a penalty shootout then what the rules are?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
The answer is that the penalty kick must be retaken irrespective of whether a goal was scored or not.
In Kicks from the Penalty Mark the conditions pertaining to Law 14 must apply.
Now the old adage prevention is better than cure is aptly relevant here. A referee should ensure that the kicker is fully aware that a signal is required before a kick can be taken.
It is also a good idea for the referee to be in front of the ball at the set up and that an early whistle is used as soon as all the conditions are in place.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Muhammad,

if the penalty kick is taken before the referee has blown the whistle, then the ball has not been put into play properly. So the kick must be taken again.

As my colleague ref McHugh says, this is the case whether the kick is scored or not, because it is as if the kick was never taken at all.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

I concur with my colleagues that technically by the laws of the game the attempt is null and void and must be retaken. However I will say this, the fact that a kicker could do that without being aware that he couldn't seems very -odd- as every kick is initialized in the same way especially on a shootout where only the kicker and the keeper are the only two players involved.
My colleagues advice about how to set it up and prevent such a mishap is well founded. While a referee can give a signal to begin but not a whistle for a free kick during the match, it would not apply on a penalty shoot up as KFTPM (Kicks From the Penalty Mark) are generally conducted far more rigorously. There even exists the possibility that the kicker could be cautioned .
Cheers