A penalty kick has been awarded, the blue goalkeeper and identified red player are in position, and ready for the kick. All of the other players are outside of the penalty area and penalty arc. The referee blows the whistle, at the moment the red player kicks the ball forward, the blue goalkeeper has both feet behind the goal line. The ball does not enter the goal. The referee must…..
- Restart play with a goal kick.
- Retake the kick.
- Warn the goalkeeper and retake the kick.
- Caution the goalkeeper and retake the kick.
The referee signals for a goal kick to be taken. The goalkeeper did not commit an offense at the taking of the penalty kick, and the ball did not enter the goal from the penalty kick. One of the Law changes for 2022-2023 allows the defending goalkeeper to have “part of one foot touching, in line with, or behind, the goal line”, when the ball is kicked. We are only judging where one foot is at the taking of the kick, so it is acceptable to have both feet behind the goal line. The IFAB has decided there is no benefit to the defending goalkeeper to be in this position.
We also need to remember that at the younger ages, most of the goalkeepers have limited or no experience in the position, so it is important we apply the Laws age appropriately. When the goalkeeper does commit an offense on a penalty kick, a friendly word is preferred to a formal warning or a caution. Gamesmanship is rarely a factor with the younger players and any offense is usually a result of nerves and uncertainty.
